


Of Sweetbuns and Milk

by The_TrashLifeisReal (NixxBeats0_0)



Category: NCT (Band), SM Rookies
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst and Humor, Basically Marshmallow 2Tae, Chaptered, Emotional Constipation, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Crack, High School Sweethearts DoTen, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Language, Minor characters from SMEnt, Prompt Fill, Underage Drinking, What Was I Thinking?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-07-10 19:37:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7003567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NixxBeats0_0/pseuds/The_TrashLifeisReal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Taeil blamed Ten.<br/>Ten was obviously the root of all his problems.<br/>Ten was the devil’s advocate and the unexplained strange flopping in Taeil’s stomach from the small brush of his fingers against Taeyong’s as he handed him back the carton was obviously a stomach ulcer.  </p><p> </p><p>AKA that High School AU where background DoTen are the real stars because shit stirring best friends are the best.<br/>Crossposted on AFF</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. TAEIL

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [NCTprompts](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/NCTprompts) collection. 



> **Prompt:**  
>   
> 
> HS!AU Taeyong is the resident delinquent no one cares about. Taeil, an upperclassman, brings him lunch - milk and sweetbuns - everyday.
> 
> (Butchered yet another Prompt: there should be a tag for the murdering of prompts. Anyway, i couldn't help myself. I also update sporadically but this should be finished in five chapters or less.  
> You poor things, read at your own risk: Lazy unbeta'd author alert.)
> 
> Crossposted on AFF (http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1131573)

CHAPTER ONE: TAEIL

“Class rep,”

Taeil stood up with a light scrape of his chair against the linoleum floor, “Yes ma’am?”

“Can I have a word with you outside please,” she phrased it like a question but with the murmuring of his classmates around him, everyone knew it was an order and not one to be taken lightly. Without a glance over her shoulder she walked out and Taeil expectantly followed behind her. Everyone knew what she was going to talk to him about. They’d all seen the boy with a shock of white blond hair, the dark brown school uniform that was different to their own navy blue and turquoise tartan and everyone had taken one look at his dark eyed gaze and knew he spelled nothing but trouble. Of course with the way high school worked everyone wanted to know the name of the new student and what class he was going to be in. and it looked like Taeil, as class rep, had the pleasure of showing the new guy around the school for the rest of the week.

The teacher walked him all the way to the teacher’s offices. “I will warn you Taeil, that if he happens to get into any trouble during this first week of settling in I will hold you just as responsible.”

Taeil blinked, “S-sorry?”

The teacher gave an almost sardonic smile as the neared her office cubicle, “That’s right if Lee Taeyong gets into any sort of trouble you will both be held accountable.”

A scoff from behind him had him whipping his head to see Lee Taeyong with an annoyed expression, “I don’t need a keeper.”

“According to your school record, you do.” she waved a hand between the two of them, “Lee Taeyong meet your class rep Moon Taeil, keep out of trouble, dismissed.”

Taeil gave a small half bow as Taeyong simply walked out and she didn’t even spare them a glance as Taeil took that as a sign to catch up to Taeyong. Out in the hall Taeil watched the white haired boy stride in the wrong direction to where their class was.

“Hey!” Taeil yelled after him. “You’re going the wrong way!”

Taeyong didn’t even turn around, “I think I’ll sit the first few lessons out.”

Taeil’s mouth gaped open in a huff, “I don’t feel like getting in trouble so you better come back.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t get caught.”

The blond turned the corner and walked right back out the school doors. Taeil couldn’t believe it. Five minutes, it had taken him less than five minutes to lose the new student. He groaned and finally got his feet to start jogging out the door as well, he wasn’t going to be that hard to shake off. There school wasn’t that big but it was quite a ways away from the closest suburb or town. Build right in the middle of a clearing and surrounded by tall, encroaching trees NCT High School was one of the more prestigious high schools in the area. The school looked out to the valley and town centre sprawled in between the mountains that surrounded their city and suburbs. Their city was secluded, mildly quiet and apparently the perfect place for the rich to settle in. Taeil wouldn’t know though, he had worked his ass off to get a scholarship to NCT High and him and his mother had left his father and little brother so that Taeil could go to a good school and eventually a good tertiary institute so that he could provide his parents and his little brother with the life they’d always wanted. But if his record was anything less than perfect he wouldn’t be able to do any of that so he had would find Lee Taeyong and bring him to class if it was the last thing he did.

“Taeyong!” he called, walking further and further away from the school and to the sports field on the east side of the grounds. “I don’t have time to play we should get to class before second period starts.”

Up ahead he spotted the blond leaning against the trunk of one of the larger trees looking out towards the track field where a couple of freshman seemed to be suffering under the wrath of Coach Siwon. Taeil huffed and made his way over ready to give the new student a piece of his mind.

“We have to go to class, now.” He ordered putting extra emphasis on the last word just in case it seemed unclear how serious he was.

Taeyong scoffed, “Yes Warden,” he got up smoothly, dusting off bruised tree leaves from his trousers. “I think my mother finally got me into prison this time.”

Taeil continued as if he’d said nothing and figured that they were going to be walking half the school grounds to get back to class he might as well point out the layout of the school. He started with the obvious, from the track and soccer pitch, complete with sweaty and frightened freshmen, the basketball courts just beyond that were separated by a line of trees, the east wing of the school were most of the Senior year classes were situated as well as their own Class B, the school administrates office and then to its left the uniform shop-

“Which reminds me you should get your uniform by the end of the week,” Taeil turned only to find that Taeyong at some point, most likely the entire time, had put his earphones in and blasted music loud enough that now that they were silent Taeil could hear loud and clear. Rude.

Taeyong raised an eyebrow taking one earbud out his ear, “Are you done talking?”

He bit his tongue, swearing on every deity in the universe that he shalt not commit manslaughter no matter how justified, “Never mind, our class is two doors down.” The bell chimed lightly for the end of first period, “So just stay awake in class okay?”

The guy in front of him gave no indication of replying but the side of his mouth tilted down slightly. Taeil took that as the closest he would get to an agreement. He turned and walked into the class just in time for the Ethics and Cultural Beliefs teacher to walk out not noticing their tardy entrance. The same couldn’t be said of the rest of the class as a hush fell upon the whole class at the entrance of the blond transfer student with the wrong uniform.

“Uh attention,” Taeil stammered unnecessarily into the already silent classroom. “This is Lee Taeyong,” he said with an awkward hand jerk to the very stoic faced Taeyong.

Taeyong made his way to one of the two desks in the back and dumped his bag on the table, folded his arms on top of it as he sat and promptly droned out the loud buzzing of gossiped whispers by resting his head on his arms and shutting his eyes. Taeil huffed under his breath and walked over to what was his desk mate’s seat, where Taeyong has so casually situated himself at, and tapped Taeyong’s shoulder.

“That seat is already taken,” he stated, waiting for Taeyong to get up.

Instead after a beat and with the class’ attention once more fixed on the new student as his hands grappled with the notes, textbooks and small school paraphernalia in the small desk space beneath and then promptly dumped Taeil’s desk mate’s things either on Taeil’s chair, desk or fluttered to the floor in sorrow.

“Yeah, it’s already taken, by me.” Taeyong retorted and then went right back to sleeping on top of the desk.

As soon as his head was down the senior class B erupted into a noisy chatter that could rival all the freshmen classes combined. Taeil angrily picked up his absent desk mate’s – Kim Doyoung – stuff. He moved and sorted them patiently while the rest of his class refused to help simply choosing to how the new guy had _completely disregarded the class rep_ and _oh he is really cute though_ and Taeil’s personal favourite _Taeyong the cold is the school’s newest sexy guy_. Taeil rolled his eyes hard when he finished and the second period teacher Mr Byun Baekhyun walked in with a mess of papers and his glasses askew, ten minutes late. Teacher Byun apologised profusely before getting started with the English lesson. All though Teacher Byun looked like he couldn’t get his life organised his lessons were always as clear and bright as his smile, half of the female student body (as well as a few of the males) lusted after Teacher Byun while the other half lusted after calmer Math teacher Mr Park Chanyeol who became the world’s largest accident prone disaster whenever Teacher Byun came within sight or earing range. It was cute, Taeil thought to himself, one of the perks (if you could really call it that) of being in an expensive elitist school for the rich and entitled was that everyone’s sexual preference was just as much a status symbol as your net worth.  So the teachers and student were free to date whomever they wanted while others able to flash the hottest couple’s combined net worth.

The whole day blended into note taking and writing extra notes for Doyoung because they were actually friends outside of school and to partly make up for not standing more firmly against Taeyong’s desk-napping. So that by the time second lunch break came his stomach was rumbling loudly and he realised he hadn’t eaten anything but a rushed half breakfast and it was nearing two in the afternoon already.

Taeil glanced to his left at his silent new desk mate. Taeyong hadn’t said more than three words to him the whole day and Taeil quickly surmised that his new desk mate actually didn’t appreciate the furtive glances and attention the class would give him every now and then. But Taeil had also noticed Taeyong simply sat with an open book in front of him and a single pen to scribble down whatever the blond deemed important and then either went back to resting on his arms or simply looking out the window. Taeil sure was noticing a lot of interesting things about his desk mate, he internally shook his head and scoffed softly, it was most likely because Lee Taeyong was ticking all the high school delinquent boxes not any other reason.

“If you’re going to stare you might as well take a picture,” Taeyong murmured with a flick of his eyes in Taeil’s direction.

He startled and hoped the offended tone in his voice didn’t sound as fake to Taeyong as it did to him, “W-what?”

Taeyong smirked knowingly _,_ _damn it._

“Aren’t you going to eat your lunch?” Taeil said looking down into his bag, anything that would have him not looking into Taeyong’s dark eyes. “We’ve been sitting next to each other the entire day and I haven’t seen you eat something,”

Taeyong snorted, as usual, with no reply.

“Did you bring lunch?” Taeil questioned further.

The other boy gave him a look as if to say _should you care this much_ and then said as much, “What is it another rule here Warden, for the prisoner’s to eat all rations?”

He huffed again, realising he was doing it was too often, maybe more than he’d done in his whole high school career all because of Lee Taeyong. “Is it strange for me to wonder about the well-being of others? Besides I’m class rep and no one wanted to be vice so I play two roles.”

“You look the type,”

His eyes narrowed, “What is that supposed to mean?” he demanded quietly.

Taeyong simply shrugged and then laid his head on the table his face towards the window and away from Taeil’s hot glare. Taeil stood up and practically stomped out the classroom all the way to the cafeteria in a very dignified manner, if he has anything to say about it.

“Taeil!” a voice called but as he stood in the lunch line stewing in his anger he didn’t register it until a smiley Junior stood in front of him waving their hand in front of his face. “Taeil, are you all okay in there?”

His eyes took in the border line illegal undercut hair with a mop of chopped dark hair and a bright cheery smile, “Hey Ten sorry about that I’m… dealing with the new student Taeyong.”

“You’re _dealing with_?” Ten chuckled, “Way to make the guy sound friendly.”

“He kicked Doyoung out of his seat,” he grumbled bitterly.

Ten’s eyes flashed with worry and anger and Taeil almost forgot about Ten’s crush on their other friend since they were kids, he smirked internally they were practically married but wouldn’t get over themselves and confess even Ten’s parents teased Doyoung about whether they were going to give their children Thai names or Korean names, but the thought of Lee Taeyong kept him frowning. “Not physically stupid, Doyoung’s not here today he went out of town to visit his mom and dad in Europe for the weekend so he’s sleeping the jet lag away today. What I mean is Taeyong just took all of Doyoung’s stuff out from under his desk and made me pick up the things scattered on the floor alone while the rest of the class just talked about how damn mysterious and sexy he is-”

Ten’s slow judgemental eyebrow raise made Taeil pause in his rant.

“He’s just insufferable!” Taeil huffed blindly paying for his lunch items.

“Uh huh…” Ten stared at his hands curiously, “He’s also apparently a cute guy that’s making you buy lunch for him.”

“What?” And then Taeil stared down at his hands to see he’d bought two cartons of milk, a sweet bun and his normal bibimbap wrap for when he was too lazy to make his lunch back at home. Sweet buns caused him to break out into hives if he ate too many so he just generally stayed away from them. “Uh,” was all that came out his mouth and the blush that started tainting the tip of his ears red was the finally straw that had Ten clutching his sides in a fit of uncontrolled laughter.

Taeil’s face burned as he walked away from Ten who had grown weak from his laughing.

“Good luck,” Ten’s taunting voice came from over his shoulder and he just walked faster.

When he got back to class three other people were in the room doing their own thing so that when Taeil nudged Taeyong awake there were no witnesses to how he practically threw the milk and sweet bun at a very startled Taeyong and then sat down to inhale his bibimbap and milk and in his deluded mind swallow down the embarrassment. He nearly choked, unsurprisingly, and Taeyong with a roll of his eyes offered his half emptied milk carton.

Taeil blamed Ten. Ten was obviously the root of all his problems, since the beginning of high school, Taeil should have known better by know. Ten was the devil’s advocate and the unexplained strange flopping in Taeil’s stomach from the small brush of his fingers against Taeyong’s as he handed him back the carton was obviously a stomach ulcer. 


	2. TAEIL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taeil is just trying to save Taeyong from everyone, even from his own best friend Kim Doyoung.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am i too late for it? 
> 
> *blinks owlishly from the darkest corners of the web* 
> 
> Either way... #HappyMoonTaeilDay - love the cute little baba. ^^

** CHAPTER TWO: TAEIL **

The next day when Doyoung found out he was no longer seated next to his best friend Doyoung reacted pretty much how Taeil had imagined the tall orange-haired boy would.

“When he shows up I’m just going to give him a piece of my mind and then politely but firmly tell him to move to the other desk,” Doyoung standing forlornly over his old seat with a small jut of his bottom lip. “I mean how can he separate us? We’re practically from the same womb by now.”

His face scrunched up in disgust, “Okay gross,”

Doyoung exclaimed and Taeil could almost see Doyoung fighting the urge to throw his hands up in the air, “This guy has no right, absolutely no right. I will fight him,”

“Fight who?”

Doyoung startled and then rolled his eyes when he saw Ten grinning mischievously. “This new Taeyong guy; for daring to move me away from our Taeil,”

Ten smirked and did a funny eyebrow wiggle thing, “Oh you mean Taeil’s new boyfriend?”

Taeil sucked in a sharp breath and then seemed to choke on it.

Doyoung’s head whipped to stare at Taeil. “Mr Desk-napper is your _boyfriend,_ ” he scoffed. “Figures, I leave for one day and I’m suddenly replaced by a newer model that you can kiss and cuddle with, is this the end of our friendship Taeil? Are kisses and cuddles worth throwing me away for?”

Ten tried really hard not to roll his eyes, he really did.

When Taeil finally caught his breath he glared at Ten before turning to Doyoung. “Okay first of all, _no_ and secondly, _no_!” he rebuked with his humiliation up by one hundred factors as the few people in class gave him accusatory glances; as if it was suddenly a crime that he couldn’t get his lungs to function properly and the fact that he had apparently made poor choices in life concerning his friends.

To make it that much worse Lee Taeyong strolled into class and dumped his bag unceremoniously on to the desk Taeil, Doyoung and Ten were crowded around before slouching into the seat. “Are you seriously choking again?”

Taeil’s lips formed a thin and tight line, “Good morning Taeyong.”

Taeyong’s smirk came back and he glanced briefly at Ten and Doyoung before folding his arms on the desk. “Make sure your friends don’t make too much noise, I didn’t get enough sleep last night.”

“Class is not for sleeping–” a hand slapped over his mouth and he looked to see Doyoung smiling brightly.

“Sure thing, I’m Doyoung by the way and this is Ten. We’ll just leave you to your sleeping, we all know how stressful life and high school can be, right Ten?”

Ten blinked.

Doyoung hefted Taeil out of his seat with one hand still covering his mouth, “Yeah, we’ll just talk to Taeil outside.”

Taeil felt the cold wash of shock, and ultimately betrayal at the hands of Kim Doyoung, overwhelm him as his ‘friends’ dragged him out his class and then shoved him against the wall. Taeil roughly shoved their hands away from him. “What happened to you were going to _fight him for moving you away from me_ , liar.” He hissed lowly, knowing Taeyong was only a few feet away.

Doyoung, it seemed, completely ignored him in favour grabbing Ten’s bicep and grinning madly. “Why didn’t you tell me it was this severe?” he cried. “Oh my gosh it was like standing in front of the beginning scene of a drama when the two main characters meet, the tension in the air, the smirk and Taeyong has blond hair! Seriously Ten they are so perfect.”

Taeil gaped. He couldn’t believe this. He honestly couldn’t believe his life at that current moment as Doyoung simply battered his eyelashes at Ten and they continued to talk about Taeil confessing his apparent undying love to Taeyong while cherry blossoms fell in torrents around them.

“I’m leaving.” He announced to no one as Doyoung continued his monologue.

When he got back to his desk, he violently threw himself back into, he bemoaned his existence. He was also pretty sure he heard Taeyong laugh at him and for some reason that just made everything that much worse so for the rest of first and second period he sulked.

But a few desks away three guys snickered particularly loudly at Taeil’s distress.

The thing is like every other high school there are those boys that like to cause unnecessary disturbances during class. They generally sleep during most classes and then when they wake up they harass the other students either flicking their textbooks on to the floor with a heavy whump or pulling the ponytail’s of the girls they deem ‘too nerdy’. As class rep it was usually Taeil’s job to reprimand and order the obedience of those types of students but Kangin, Shindong and Heechul were exceptions to that rule; the three oldest boys in class and by far the richest boys. They each had their own individual stories of how they ended up at NCT High; how they were held back from their high schools, expelled from other prestigious institutions and even drank, smoke and cussed their way through life. This was why it was always safer for Taeil –and most of those in his class– if they picked out a single victim instead of spreading their havoc like a disease infecting the entire class and by third lesson they had apparently picked their new ‘friend’, Lee Taeyong.

The lunch bell rang and after a mind-numbing two hours of maths even the girls evacuated the class with surprising speed. Mr Park nodded at the few still left before making his own way to his awaiting lunch. As Taeil rubbed his temples with a weary sigh three figures crowded in around his desk. He slowly opened his eyes to see Heechul grinning happily at him. Well, more like baring his teeth.

“Our wonderful class rep,” Shindong jeered clamping a meaty hand on his shoulder. “Aren’t you going to go join your little group of weirdos for lunch?”

Taeil tried not to flinch as Shindong’s fingers dug into his shoulder, “Y-yeah I- was just about to wake up Taeyong so we c-could leave.” He doesn’t know why he said it in the first place but he felt as if the three were planning something despicable and by extension if Taeyong got in trouble Taeil would be too. That was the only reason his hand seemed to squeeze Taeyong’s thigh to wake the other up, alerting Taeyong to the goons around them. 

Kangin’s sharp bark of laughter did make him flinch and almost on cue Taeyong’s head lifted from the table he was napping on to glare at Taeil’s direction. “I told you to keep your friends quiet Taeil.”

Even as his stomach flopped a small bit of annoyance had his eyes narrowing at Taeyong’s remark. “We should really be going to lunch now, remember?” he said instead with forced calm.

Taeyong’s eyes flittered in an almost bored manner to the three guys crowded around them. Taeyong scratched a small scar at the corner of his eye and sighed. “I never said I would go,”

Taeil groaned inwardly. Why was Taeyong so stupid? He wondered.

“You heard him class rep,” Heechul spoke with a mocking lilt. “Run along and you should tell that friend of yours, Doyoung I think, I said hi.”

Taeil shivered and stood up with one last look at Taeyong, still sitting there as passive as ever, “You better hurry up I’ll save you a seat.”

Kangin shoved him out the way. He tripped, falling to the awaiting desks in front of him with one of the desks catching him painfully in the hip. _Oh, that’s going to bruise._

“Taeyong is _our_ friend now,” Kangin laughed while Taeil straightened himself with a wince that didn’t go unnoticed if Heechul’s wild grin was anything to go by.

He walked out the classroom with regret gnawing at him painfully even blindly walking down the halls and until he made his way to the cafeteria where he somehow located Ten and Doyoung, already bickering over something, and sat down heavily.

“Hey,” Doyoung greeted. “What took you so long? After Teacher Chanyeol’s double math lecture we all ran out of there. Wait, were you with Taeyong?” Doyoung enquired wriggling his eyebrows suggestively, much like Ten would do.

Taeil stared at the table top in front of him, “No Kangin, Heechul and Shindong wanted his company instead.”

Ten sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth, “Damn that is never good.”

Doyoung elbowed Ten in the side, hard enough for Ten to squeak in protest, “I’m sure what Ten means to say is of course it looks bad. But Taeyong is tough, he’ll get through it – I mean he’ll be fine.”

He slumped on to the table top with his cheek pressed against the cool marble, “Stupid idiot didn’t even try getting away when I offered,”

Above him he could almost feel Ten and Doyoung exchanging those silent eye conversations of theirs before Doyoung said slowly, “Well since he won’t be having lunch today you might as well.”

Taeil frowned, “I’m not that hungry.” His stomach was tied in knots and his eyebrows furrowed. _Stupid Taeyong_.  

 A body dropped into the seat next to him and he jerked upright.

“Wow, hey Taeyong.” Ten greeted with a smile.

Taeil stared and stared and stared some more.

Taeyong sat there looking back at him passively. His white hair seemed to be in a bit of a mess and his uniform was looking slightly more crumbled than it was before. But other than that there were no cuts, bruises or bumps any of them could see. Taeil couldn’t believe it, there was absolutely no way that Kangin, Heechul and Shindong could have left Taeyong alone. Absolutely no way Taeyong could have gotten away from them unscathed.

“So are you going to get me that lunch you promised or keep staring?” Taeyong finally said.

And there was the smirk.

Taeil huffed with his face red and yet his eyes glaring as angrily as he could manage while an almost unbelievable amount of relief rushing through him. He got up and went to the lunch line getting a sweet bun, a carton of milk and one bibimbap for himself. When he got back Ten had apparently gotten Taeyong into an actual conversation though what they were talking about Taeil would not be able to relay if asked, even as he sat there next to Taeyong’s soft rumbling voice and nibbling on his lunch. Halfway through he realised that he had forgotten to buy himself something to drink and sat there his bibimbap only half eaten and trying discretely to thump the food from his chest. But slowly a carton of opened milk sat in front of him, half full same as the day before. When he looked up at Taeyong, Taeyong was still faced completely forward and listening to Ten’s halted but enthusiastic sentences. Doyoung’s slyly grinning face was the next thing he saw before hastily looking at the table and swallowing down the offered milk gratefully.

Taeil couldn’t quite understand what was going on but one thing was certain, he was in no way to let Kim Doyoung fill his head with nonsense. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: I do not hate Kim Heechul or any SUJU memebers, Kim Heechul is just my baby and my treasure, i love him so damn much it hurts. But he also makes for a great delinquent, all the sass guys. I LOVE HIM THO~


	3. (Interim) DOYOUNG

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why does love have to feel this painful. Doyoung and Ten addition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is still for the #HappyMoonTaeilDay because i was feeling inspired and like depressed af, so i guess it uhm... turned into me writing a background for the DoTen ship that i will most likely post at a later date when i have completed the whole thing. And now this has turned into like a Series. 
> 
> SO Anon again i apologise sincerely for butchering this prompt because like this is prompt at the point of no return. Mianhe.
> 
> WARNING: if you don't know by now; lazy unbeta'ed author and a bunch of shitty angst that has no premise in this thing that was supposed to be Everything Good and Nothing Hurts.

** CHAPTER THREE: DOYOUNG **

“Come on Taeil,”

“Doyoung, I am not above throttling you.”

“It’s just milk and some bread, what’s got you so constipated over this?”

“Maybe it’s the fact that I have been buying him lunch for almost a week now,”

“Oh, please you love mothering people.”

“Says Ten’s personal nurse,”

“THAT WAS ONE TIME!”

“Oh, _please you love mothering people – argh!_ Ten get your boyfriend under control! Ten, Ten damn it! OW DOYOUNG!”

“What are you guys doing?”

“Ten, darling, look away now,”

“If you say so but–”

“Now Ten,”

“TEN DO NOT LEAVE ME.”

\-----

 

 

**DOYOUNGIE (THUR, 20:13)  
** _Taeil, my little Moon, what are you doing tomorrow?_

**MOON TAEIL (THUR, 20:33)  
** _Going to school like a normal student and then hopefully straight home afterwards where I can look hibernate, alone and in peace,  for the weekend and pretend like the world doesn’t hate me for giving me friends like you._

**DOYOUNGIE (THUR, 20:34)**  
_now, now Moon Pie when you say things like that it further proves my point that you need a boyfriend to loosen you up a bit. *Wink, wink*_  
  


**DOYOUNGIE (THUR, 20:34)**  
_so anyway back to important matters I invited Taeyong to join us Friday night to the arcade so we can execute Operation: TAEIL MUST GET SOME_  
  


**DOYOUNGIE (THUR, 20:36)  
** _the name is still a work in progress^^_

**MOON TAEIL (THUR, 20:38)  
** _Kim Dongyoung, I hope, for your sake that the US does not include me because I will cause you grievous bodily harm._

**10% (THUR, 20:38)  
** _Ouch, he just full named you._

**DOYOUNGIE (THUR, 20:39)  
** _Chittaphon, Not. Now._

**10% (THUR, 20:40)  
** _well, fuck you too._

**MOON TAEIL (THUR, 20:42)  
** _Um, did something happen with you two?_

**10% (THUR, 20:42)  
** _why don’t you ask Doyoung, I’m sure he gives a quick reply to EVERYBODY else’s messages._

**DOYOUNGIE (THUR, 20:42)  
** _Taeil, tomorrow at the arcade, 4pm. And please no weird turtle necks. You’re trying to get a boyfriend not die alone at home in a turtle neck with 50 cats._

_  
_ **DOYOUNGIE (THUR, 20:52)  
** _And Ten I am outside your house. Open up. I can see you staring at me from your window._

**10% (THUR, 20:53)  
** _Taeil, there is a stranger in my house. Call the police._

 

“TEN SO HELP ME GOD I WILL MURDER YOU IF YOU DO NOT COME DOWNSTAIRS!” Doyoung yelled look around the wonderfully furnished three story mansion Ten lived in. The butler had let him and instantly disappeared into the depths of the large house after taking one look at his fuming face. Unfortunately, this happened way too often. So often that when he and Ten were arguing and sometimes things broke the maids didn’t even bat an eyelash anymore.

Ten descended the spiral staircase casually but as soon as he caught the look in his eyes Doyoung could see the Thai heir was just as riled up as he was. As soon as Ten stood less than an arm’s length away from him he started yelling, “If you have a problem, you better get over and done with and say it to my face instead of sulking about it!”

Ten rolled his eyes, “I am not the one with the problem. I have not been shirking off all of your calls or texts for a week now, without explanation, just off on one of your sill tantrums again.”  

Okay, so maybe had had been ignoring Ten for a while. He was angry. Things with him and Ten were getting a bit strained and he didn’t exactly know how to deal with the fact that almost everyone kept calling them boyfriends and that was something Doyoung had practically been obsessing over since the long break when Taeil had gone down to Busan to visit his dad and younger brother and it had just been him and Ten for weeks. Every long break it was the same Taeil left with his mom to go visit his family and Doyoung was stuck, alone in and empty house with too much space but then ten minutes away he had Ten. But this past break he had broken their usual tradition and had gone to visit his parents in Europe and come back to find that nearly every girl and guy at school was practically drooling over the younger boy, with Ten surrounded by other people, new friends he had made over the break. And it made him mad, like really mad and if he had tripped that young freshman Mark before he could talk to Ten with those heart-shaped eyes of his again, the Lord better help him because Doyoung seriously felt like he was going to bury Mark’s body in the surrounding woodlands where no one would find him.

“I haven’t been ignoring you!” Doyoung argued nonetheless.

“Bullshit Kim,”

“I haven’t!” he threw his hands in the air. “I’ve just been busy with the Taeyong and Taeil situation!”

Ten stepped further into Doyoung’s space and Doyoung tried not to get let it get to is head. The was Ten was practically the same height as him or the way Ten smelled strongly of his musky shampoo or the fact that Ten’s face got even more gorgeous up close.

“So, what?” the dark haired boy practically sneered, uncharacteristically. “I always play the third wheel to you and Taeil then? You don’t care that we’re friends as well?”

He blinked, not expected the harsh tone in Ten’s voice at all. Sure, he and Ten fought like _a lot_ about practically everything but Ten had _never_ sounded so, so cruel before. “W-what are you talking about?”

“Forget it,” he scoffed turning away abruptly and walking back up the stairs. “You know the way out don’t you?”

Doyoung was stunned. What the hell had just happened and how did it happen? Ten had never looked that furious at him before. Ten was sweet and smiley and just happy. What just happened? He quietly turned around and slipped out the front door, forgetting his coat and ignoring the biting chill to the air. With shaky hands he took out his phone and dialled the only other person who was his friend.

_“Hello?”_

“T-taeil can I come over and maybe spend the night?” he sniffed.

_“What? Doyoung what’s wrong?”_

“I-I don’t really know,”  

\-----

 

 

“Taeil?”

“Hmmm?”

“Are you awake?”

“Yeah, yeah of course what’s wrong?”

“Do you think I’m in love with Ten?”

“… I don’t think I can answer that Doyoung,”

“But you _do_ think I’m in love with Ten.”

There was a sigh and then a shift of the blankets beside him as Taeil continued to fight sleep so he could talk to him. “I think you and Ten need to talk,” a yawn. “About everything,”

“What if he doesn’t like me back?” he hated to admit but his voice shook as he whispered the confession out loud, finally.

Taeil gave a soft snort, “Just talk to Ten.”

 


	4. TAEIL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is a mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeta'd.  
> You were warned.  
> #SleepDeprivationIsSoRealRightNow #ThisIsNotLiving #UniversityWHY 
> 
> I have up until chapter 6-ish just chin-chilling in my Word Document... so like might just post chapter 5 in an hour, maybe. Not confident.  
> #Untrustworthy

** CHAPTER FOUR: TAEIL  **

Taeil doesn’t exactly know what was going on between Ten and Doyoung but he sure hoped they fix it because being the middle man between all their interactions was getting extremely uncomfortable. And the school day hadn’t even started yet.

“So,” he coughed into the awkward silence that had descended in front of his locker. “About the plans for this afternoon my mom–”

Doyoung waved a hand in front of his face, “Don’t even try that nonsense I asked your mom if it was okay for you to come with us while you were in the shower.”

Ten gave a derisive snort, “Of course you did,” he muttered lowly but obviously not low enough because Doyoung’s eyes narrowed into angry little slits.

“Chittaphon and I will go with as your perfect wingmen so that Taeyong is none the wiser and then you shall woo him until he’s yours,”

“Pretty sure he does know,” Ten commented. “Dongyoung knows nothing about tact.”

Taeil saw the hurt flash in Doyoung’s eyes when Ten’s back was turned and he felt frustration build as the two continued to fling jabs at each other even when they reached their class. Taeil just left them there at the doorway and went to sit in his seat next to Taeyong who gave the pair at the door an inquisitive look.

“They look angry,”

Taeil snorted, “This is their biggest fight yet.”

Taeyong ran a hand through his hair and then seemed to wince putting the arm down again, “Should we be expecting divorce papers?”

This time he winced looking at Doyoung who came storming into class with eyes suspiciously shiny. “Don’t make that joke in front of them tonight,”

“Yeah, about that–”

Doyoung’s head whipped around from the seat in front of Taeyong’s and stared the blond down. “Taeil already tried that nonsense with me this morning and you sure aren’t getting away with it either. You. Are. Coming.”

Taeil couldn’t be certain but he was sure he saw something close to fear shift in Taeyong’s eyes, “I wasn’t going to back out I was just, um, going to say that I might be a few minutes late. I’m meeting one of our teachers after school.”

“Oh,” Doyoung gave a small smile. “We can wait then, just meet us in front of the theatre at five thirty instead. I’m in the mood for some Comedy after the week I’ve had.”

“Yeah sure,” Taeyong replied with a somewhat tight smile.

The bell rang and the class fell into a hushed silence until lunch time. Doyoung dragged Taeyong to their lunch table during lunch and ordered Taeil to buy Taeyong, the boy with a permanently missing lunch, a sweet bun and some milk.

Taeil pushed the lunch Taeyong’s way and the blond silently accepted with his fingers brushing against Taeil’s and the latter determinedly fought the blush away when he felt Taeyong slide in closer next to him and the heat of his thigh so far close to his.

“Uh,” he cleared his throat. “Where is Ten? Doesn’t he leave class earlier on a Friday and save us a seat?”

Doyoung’s eyes flitted up briefly in an almost pained expression before staring disinterestedly at his food. “Ten has other friends; he is allowed to sit with them. We don’t own Ten.” The last part said a little sadly.

Taeyong shot Taeil a look and mouthed the words, _trial separation._

Taeil punch him in the shoulder. “Well we’ll see him tonight then,”

“Yeah… tonight,” Taeyong said in a melancholic voice that Taeil hoped only he could hear.

\-----

“I feel silly dressed like this,” Taeil groaned as he and Doyoung stood waiting alone in front of the movie theatre.

Doyoung grinned, “You look hot, I don’t know why you continue to hide that body of yours you have gorgeous shoulders and a wonderful neck. I should think about becoming a professional stylist at this rate.”

Taeil rolled his eyes, staring down at the navy and white, long sleeve baseball shirt he wore, washed out baby blue jeans that hugged his muscular calves _just right_ Doyoung had advised and his trusty school trainers that Doyoung hadn’t been able to pry him away from. He needed to feel somewhat comfortable in this very uncomfortable situation. Ten hadn’t shown up yet and Taeyong said he was five minutes away. With the way Doyoung had a constant manic grin on his face Taeil had a sneaking suspicion that Ten might not make it.

“I will get us two boxes of popcorn and you and Taeyong will share one while Ten and I share the other,” Doyoung went on in an overly cheery voice. “And then it can totally be like a cute drama scene where your hands touch and you feel all sparkly and fluffy inside and then bam you kiss.” He said with a flourish of his hands.

“You need to stop getting all your romantic advise from drams, it’s not healthy.”

“What’s not healthy?”

They both nearly jumped out of their skin when they saw Ten and Taeyong standing behind them. Taeil stared at Taeyong. Taeyong looked amazing in a simple white shirt and black skinny jeans, his blond her looking a bit ruffled but a small smile gracing his lips that did very funny things to Taeil’s already upset stomach. Beside him Taeil just barely heard Doyoung breath a soft and disbelieving _Ten._

And… okay Taeyong’s soft smile was turning into that sly grin of his, okay Taeil was staring, he should stop staring. He should stop, seriously!

“Uh,” Ten coughed, _God bless the wonderful Thai male_ , with his eyes shifting away from Doyoung to look quizzically at the no doubt dumbstruck look on his face. “What movie are we watching?”

“A RomCom,” Doyoung said roughly and turned his back on all of them. “Ten, we can get the tickets and Taeil and Taeyong can get the snacks.”

Ten rolled his eyes but with a smile on his face and then chased after Doyoung.

“So…”

Taeyong scoffed, “Stop being so nervous and let’s get some stupid popcorn.”

Taeil pouted, trailing behind Taeyong as Taeyong ordered popcorn, chocolates, cool drinks and even two liquorice twists and made Taeil carry it all. You know because he paid for everything even through Taeil’s violent protests that he had money to contribute and he _really_ hated not paying for himself.

“It’s no big deal,” Taeyong shrugged.

“Yeah,” Taeil scowled over the boxes of treats in his arms. “To the wealthy money is nothing is it?”

Taeyong’s brows furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, absolutely nothing”

Taeyong’s frown was turning into a look of irritation as Taeil felt his own irritation rising. Taeil knew all of those at his school were snobs, but he was at least hoping Taeyong wouldn’t be one of them, guess he was wrong.

“Wow, I thought Doyoungie was the only one harbouring all the tension.” Ten whistled and Doyoung, almost on cue scoffed. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Taeil and Taeyong snapped at the same time.

“I’m going in,” Doyoung announced to no one already power walking to the entrance of the cinema. Taeyong followed with an irate sounding click of his tongue.

“What a fucking sad bunch we are,” Taeil heard Ten snort as the dark haired boy trailed the back of the pack.

The advertisements had just begun rolling as they walked in Doyoung to a seat in the middle of an empty row, Taeil followed and then Taeyong. Ten slipped past the latter and Taeil to sit on Doyoung’s left and then Taeil dished out all the snacks. There was a tension filled silence to the point where no one even glanced at each other. With every quiet drenched minute that went each of them only grew more agitated.

“Stop it,” Taeyong’s breath ghosted across the nape of his neck and Taeil nearly jumped out of his skin.

Taeil’s eyes swivelled to Taeyong’s only to find the blond leaning so very close to him. “Stop what?”

Taeyong’s eyes narrowed and Taeil felt long fingers and a firm hand stop the sporadic bouncing of his thigh. He hadn’t even noticed.

“Uh, sorry,” He said softly still staring into Taeyong’s dark eyes that seemed impossibly close.

Taeyong leaned in even closer and then Taeil felt the blond press a feather like kiss against edge his brow on his temple. “No I’m sorry,” and then turned back to the movie.

Something seemed to implode within his abdomen to which he could not find the source of.  

He too turned back to the movie but spent the remaining hour of the Romantic Comedy trying to rationalise whether Taeyong even realised his hand was still on Taeil’s thigh and trying to breathe calmly. Meanwhile trying his damnest to squash the urge to take Taeyong’s face between both hands and – and do what?

The vibrating feeling in his abdomen knew exactly what and a variety of possible things he could and quite frankly wanted to do with Kim Taeyong – but he forced it down.  

When the movie ended he shot straight out of his seat and dragged Doyoung out by the arm. He doesn’t remember much except a blur of hurried goodbyes, Doyoung’s worried face as they power walked all the way to Doyoung’s house, which was closest to the theatre enquiring about whether he was sick or not and trying to ignore his racing heart that was most likely an onset of early heart disease trigger by the scant handful of buttery popcorn he had had. God damn it, he knew today was a bad day.

 


	5. TAEIL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taeil is precious flower boy that cannot handle this anymore. There is a breaking point and Taeyong pushes someone over it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hELLO~  
> Lying and shady af Author has popped up again after two weeks. Lemme just warn you that i have re-written and re-written aND RE-WRITTEN this chapter. Yet still not beta-ed this shizz. But thank y'all so much for continuing to read this y'all make my shitty University life so much better with your comments, this place is showing me flames guys. So, Always appreciated guys. <3
> 
> Even though i'm not happy with this enjoy. (^^)v

** CHAPTER FIVE: TAEIL  **

“So what’s wrong?”

“I think Taeyong broke Taeil,”

“Uh… define broke…”

“I mean Chittaphon, that Moon Taeil rushed us out of the movie theatre so that he could lay buried in my bed and murmur to himself all night and all of this morning about stomach ulcers and heart disease.”

“Well,” Taeil heard a laugh. “That is definitely new,”

“Ten, take this seriously our dear friend has gone mad.”

“Puh-lease, why did you call me Doyoung? I thought we wouldn’t be doing this anymore.”

“I am not throwing a _tantrum_ as you so wonderfully put it last time our friend is in need of serious attention!”

“Doyoungie stop–”

Taeil threw the covers off himself and glared at the two silhouetted at the doorway of Doyoung’s bedroom with Doyoung’s back pressed against the doorway and Ten’s arm suspiciously around Doyoung’s waist. But they sprang apart the moment Taeil’s eyes landed on them and that only served to sharpen his glare. “Can you guys go have angry make up sex away from earshot.”

Ten grinned and instead of exiting the room like Taeil hoped he would, the Thai boy flopped into bed next to him. “He lives,”

Doyoung huffed from the doorway and then left, muttering something about making tea for ungrateful swine squatting in his house. 

“You know Taeyong asked about you after you left,” Ten commented into the short silence that had fallen over them. “Do you want to know what he asked?”

Taeil stilled, unwilling to show Ten just how much he was dying to know.

“But I didn’t give him an answer because any and all questions relating to you should be answered by you.”

He cracked, “What kind of question?”

Ten grinned in victory, “About whether you had a boyfriend or not so he could fuck you into next week.”

Taeil choked on air. And Doyoung found them not even two minutes later with Taeil’s hands wrapped around Ten’s neck while Ten laughed wildly.

Doyoung sighed loudly catching Taeil and Ten's attention. “What are you guys doing?”

Ten jumped up, pushing Taeil to the side with the action, “I simply suggested that we all go out next weekend, with Taeil's boyfriend.”

Taeil’s eyes were narrowed yet his cheeks pink with colour, “He is not my boyfriend.”

“Yet,” Ten grinned. “Anyway, some of my basketball friends are having a chill session next weekend at Johnny’s place.”

Doyoung raised an eyebrow, “Who is Johnny?”

Ten shrugged and looked away, “Just a close friend.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Come on Doyoungie don’t–”

“Breakfast is ready.” And then Doyoung was gone again.

Ten looked at the ceiling, running a hand over his face roughly.

Taeil coughed awkwardly. “Is Johnny the guy you’ve been sitting with during lunch?”

“Yeah,”

“Does Doyoung know him?”

“Not really, he's in your class?”

“You know you have to talk about – whatever the hell is going on with you guys, right?”

“Do you know we kissed?”

Taeil sighed, “I figured, when I was gone during winter break that something happened but you guys never told me.”

Ten sat back down heavily on the bed. “Well, I figured Doyoung told _you_ of all people.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I constantly feel like the third wheel.” He spat angrily. “Doyoung shrugs off whenever I say ‘we should talk' or ‘have you told Taeil about what happened?’ or he just – I – you know what never mind.”

Taeil nodded into the open silence that descended into the room, unsure of what to say, but luckily Ten was quick to compose himself.

“Doyoungie will freak if we don’t go eat lunch, he says you’ve already missed breakfast.”

“Don’t, you dare start with me.”

Ten held his hands up in surrender, “You and your boyfriend can hopefully sort things out before the _real_ sexy time begins.”

Taeil launched a pillow straight into Ten’s smiling little smug face.

\-----

On Monday however Taeyong refused to even acknowledge his existence and instead straight up slept through the entire school day and only lifted his head once the final end of day bell had rang. Taeil bit his bottom lip and decided to confront Taeyong as the blond walked slowly out the building with the last few students who had yet to leave, “Taeyong!”

The blond didn’t turn around.

He called again, “Taeyong!” getting closer.

Taeyong still didn’t turn around.

Taeil huffed and then pressed a hand to Taeyong’s arm only for the taller boy to flinch violently away. “Don’t touch me.”

Taeil blinked with a startled step back as the last few curious students walked past, giving Taeyong and Taeil a wide berth, Taeyong’s eyes were narrowed and Taeil wasn’t quite sure what he expected but he was sure he didn’t deserve the harsh tone with which Taeyong addressed him with when the blond demanded, “What the fuck do you want Class Rep?”

“I-I, sorry,” he stammered and then gently handed over a carton of milk and a sweet bun. “You obviously haven’t eaten the whole day and you know I – I–”

“Brought me another unnecessary lunch,” Taeyong groused with a roll of his eyes.

Taeil was taken aback, “Did I do something?” he was sure he hadn’t but the hostility pouring off Taeyong in waves said otherwise.

Taeyong’s eyes flickered to something over his shoulder and he would have turned around to look at what Taeyong was glaring at so intently but Taeyong suddenly near yelled, “Go home Taeil!” and threw the lunch Taeil had been nervously clutching in his hands – since lunch – into the trashcan.  

He couldn’t help it, he flinched. And that alone seemed to anger the blond standing in front of him even more. So Taeil took the hint, hiked his school bag unnecessarily over his shoulders and walked away from Taeyong without a second’s glance back. Instead of taking the bus back home that was more than 4 kilometres away, he walked his frustration of the whole day back home. He paid close attention to the streets passing him by, the slight biting wind in the air and especially his feet that blurred in and out of focus as he cried. He shouldn’t even be this hurt it wasn’t like he had feelings for Taeyong right? Right…

\-----

On Tuesday it only got worse because not only was Taeyong awake the whole day and still not acknowledging his existence now Doyoung and Ten were glaring daggers whenever they got the chance. Taeyong simply ignored their glares. But Taeil had to deal with their worried glances, hushed whispers – even if they technically still weren’t speaking to each other – as well as Doyoung and Ten’s underlying curiosity as to why Taeil and Taeyong were so suddenly not speaking. Because the more he thought about it the more he couldn’t figure it out either and the more it hurt him to not know the reason behind Taeyong’s coldness.

“Okay so even though Ten has bailed out on lunch, _again_ ,” Doyoung tried with only the slightest amount of spite colouring his voice. “And, well, Taeyong is being all funny we can still–”

Taeil cut him off as he started to stand, “You know what I’m not feeling very well. I think I’ll just go home early today. I think school is getting to me.”

“Oh, okay.” Doyoung said in a really soft voice. “I’ll take notes for you, feel better soon.”

And just like the previous day Taeil hiked his school bag unnecessarily up his shoulders and walked more than 4 kilometres, alone, with tears running uselessly down his face.

He didn’t show up to school for the rest of the week.

 


	6. TAEYONG

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taeyong has a reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, double update. :D

** CHAPTER SIX: TAEYONG  **

Taeyong sighed heavily and then winced. It was Thursday and he had officially had enough of the whole school week and couldn’t be bothered with it anymore. So he rolled over and thought about the shitty ass week he had had thus far. Just for today he would allow himself to wallow in his swathe of white blankets and duvets and ignore anything and everything.  

If he has to admit it though the week started going downhill before it had even started.

That evening at the movies with Taeil, Doyoung and Ten – he had slipped and let the feelings he had tried pushing away since the day he had met the wide eyed Class Representative that had given him an earful for simply wanting to breathe in the fresh air outside and maybe watch freshmen get tortured by a fit P.E. teacher that looked like he belonged on the cover of GQ rather than yelling at prepubescent gremlins to push 10 laps around an Olympic sized track field – red gym shorts and sadistic smile included. Something shifted in his chest every time he watched Taeil. And he watched him a lot, bordering on indecent, but he couldn’t help it so when Kim Doyoung and his boyfriend cornered him Thursday during lunch when Taeil was off to some stupid Class Rep meeting and had invited him to go to the movies Friday evening, he had no choice the look in Doyoung’s eyes was oddly terrifying. He could not have said no if he tried. 

So that when Friday evening rolled around he was nervous and on edge because honestly what was he going to talk about? Did Taeil even like the same things he did? Turns his little habit was stronger than he had originally intended because instead he had watched the screen cast different colours across the contours of Taeil’s face, he watched the shorter boy’s leg bounce up and down in nervousness for so long that he couldn’t take it anymore and then when he pressed the small kiss to Taeil’s temple he had to steel himself away from doing anything else with his heart in his throat and willing away any and all further thoughts of his lips on Taeil. He really hadn’t even noticed the hand he had on Taeil’s thigh until the movie was suddenly over and Taeil bolted out of his seat. God, Taeyong was a mess. But he picked himself together slowly. Said goodbye to Ten and then went back to school to meet his awaiting ‘friends’.

And of course when he started brushing Taeil off after their movie excursion the first to confront him – about his douche-y behaviour from ignoring Taeil to talking to everyone but the shorter man and then the peak of his shit filled mountain had been when he threw the lunch Taeil had brought him in the bin, in front of the boy – had been Ten. Tuesday’s school day hadn’t even officially started and he felt someone breathing heavily down his neck, when he turned, it was Ten. And the usually smiling Thai boy was all angry eyes and no smiles. 

“What did you do to Taeil?” the other demanded with no pleasantries and straight to business.

He suppressed the urge to sigh because not only would it anger Ten it would hurt his newly bruised ribs. “What are you talking about?”

Ten glared at him, “You made him cry and I want to know why?”

He actually winced then. _Fuck,_ he had made Taeil cry. The pit of self-depreciation seemed to yawn open even further because Taeil didn’t deserve that. Taeil didn’t deserve any of the shit he had given him. But he couldn’t do anything about it; it was for his own good. Taeyong was a shitty person anyway; he didn’t deserve someone like Taeil let alone Moon Taeil himself.

“So what?” he bit out, the mere syllables tasting like acid in his throat.

He could see Ten wanted to punch him, the Thai native was vibrating with rage but the warning bell started ringing and not a minute to late as Ten brushed past him, knocking his shoulder roughly, and stalking off to the direction Taeyong assumed his class was in.

In class, he shrugged Taeil off and was actually going to pay attention to his classes because _goddamn it_ he came to school to work! In reality, whenever Taeil wasn’t paying attention Taeyong mapped the beautiful plains of Taeil’s face; from the sharp jaw, prominent and straight nose, dark hair that wasn’t quite straight falling over his brow and those dark rosy lips…

Taeyong groaned loudly from beneath his covers, he couldn’t take much more of this. Thinking about Taeil made his mood so much worse but he always couldn’t _stop_ thinking about Taeil.

He hadn’t seen Taeil since before lunch on Tuesday and then Wednesday Taeil still hadn’t shown up making Taeyong feel like crap. On top of the glares he had been receiving from Doyoung.

But strangely in the three days that had passed he had not seen hide or hair of his three new ‘friends’, mainly Kim Heechul – the guy responsible for his shitty moods, bruised body and the distance he had been putting between himself and Taeil. 

Two weeks.

It had been nearly two weeks that he had allowed himself to be a punching bag for Kim Heechul and his goons and they had kept good on their word to never let him forget the amount of _power_ they held. As one bruise became a sickly yellow shade, hidden well by his new navy coloured school uniform, they would come back- almost as if summoned by Taeyong’s stiff joints and healing skin tissue – to leave a bigger bruise, usually on top of the old one and preferably bigger coloured in violent shades of blue or the most throbbing of scarlets. Their favourite spot as he quickly sussed out was leaving him aching and raw around him abdomen so that even the slightest movement of his chest expanding with his every breath left him with an unpleasant and snappy attitude in class and even worse scowl.

Moon Taeil suffered the brunt of it and Taeyong hated himself for that fact alone. Every time he saw that shy and bashful smile Taeyong honestly felt like punching something or better yet someone. Because with every small upward tilt of his Taeil’s lips Heechul would order Taeyong beaten and if Taeyong dared to fight back they promised harm to Taeil.

So okay; he was being a dick but damn it if he wouldn’t try his hardest to bottle up his feelings and fiercely will them away with every painful punch he took from Heechul – all for Taeil.

 


	7. TAEIL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny's Kickass Throwback. (patent pending)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a lying liar who lies. i just realised in the beginning i said this would end at around five chapters max. So thank you to my bestie Maps for pointing out i am still shit at maths. 
> 
> AND THANK YOU FOR THE 900+ READS AND 70 KUDOS. *crying real tears while sipping on my third glass of dry white wine* 
> 
> P.S. still an unbeta-ering (?) little thug.

** CHAPTER SEVEN: TAEIL  **

Taeil sighed as he found himself for the second weekend in a row dressed in tight blue jeans and an all-encompassing mixture of anxiety and excitement at seeing Taeyong’s face. He doesn’t quite understand it either because Taeyong had been nothing but a dick the entire week at school, even after what Taeil thought was a special moment that they shared at the movies. Apparently Taeyong didn’t feel the same way he did.

“You looking sexy and there is a house full of alcohol, rich snobs and the worst of teenage decisions waiting for you behind this door,” Doyoung said from beside him. “All I – we – you need to do is forget about Ten, I mean Taeyong, _he who must not be named_.”  

That had also been happening a lot as of late. Doyoung wallowing in bed, cursing Ten’s name under his breath, the constant Freudian slips of the tongue and of course skipping school after the fail attempt at _taking notes for him_ , it was really pathetic. They had spent all of Thursday night, Friday morning and Friday evening in Doyoung’s large canopy bed watching whatever came onto the channel they refused to change from since the remote was all the way on the other side of the room where it had landed after they fought over it Thursday afternoon. They probably would have stayed there if it hadn’t been for Doyoung’s stupid Facebook notification that _Johnny’s Kickass Throwback_ had started an hour ago. Doyoung had bolted out of bed instantly, muttering darkly about showing up looking extremely sexy and just wanting to show _someone_ up. From then onwards Taeil had no say in the matter.  

Taeil can see with the way Doyoung opens the door and walks in with his broad shoulders squared and the way Doyoung’s round eyes survey the room, searching, that this night could end one of two ways. He almost didn’t want to go in for Doyoung’s sake alone but then the taller boy turned back to see him still loitering in the doorway and pulled him in with a sharp tug to his wrist.

“First we get drinks,” Doyoung said noncommittedly, still searching the room. “Drinks at a party sound like a good thing.”

The party itself wasn’t a big deal, even though a few obvious people had crashed the apparent chill session. Case in point Kim Heechul’s eyes following them as they moved past to the small makeshift drink and snack table shoved into the corner of spacious living room. Taeil counted roughly 50 people and most of them were people he knew, even a few faces from the Student Council committee kicking back with bottles and cups half filled with alcohol. One of them, a class rep for one of the sophomore classes, eyes seemed to light up as he spotted Taeil and Doyoung and then he waved excessively catching the attention of a few people. But he didn’t mind as he even dragged his friend Taeil’s way and greeted with an excited, “Taeil!”

Doyoung stopped in his tracks and then turned to finally register Jung Jaehyun and friend coming their way. Doyoung leaned down and hissed in his ear. “What does the giant puppy want?”

Taeil shrugged he had no idea what was the norm for parties like this much less parties in general.

“Taeil, I haven’t seen you in days!” Jaehyun said with an exaggerated pout. “You disappeared off the face of the planet and then just show up at a _party._ Wow, I didn’t know you were going all dark side on us. Doyoung why were you hiding out as well? Because Ten would not stop looking like a lost soul around school, I was about to shoot him, not even kidding.”

The tips of Doyoung’s ear turned red, “Hello to you too Jaehyun.” He said after a deep breath in.

Jaehyun giggled slapping his friend on the arm, “See I told you Doyoung was awesome didn’t I? He’s so cute. Oh! My bad I forgot to introduce my friend, this is Yuta. I’m trying to get him laid. Yuta this is Doyoung – Ten said he was off limits – and Taeil, but I think he’s off limits too from what the buzz around school says.”

Jaehyun was drunk. This was the only reason Taeil could come up with for the younger boy’s absolute lack of tact and Taeil had to think fast before the vein pulsing in Doyoung’s forehead caused a stroke. Yuta, seemed to find everything amusing and simply waved at Taeil and Doyoung with a weird glittering in his eyes.

Taeil turned to fully face Doyoung, no matter how rude it seemed, and pushed the taller boy in the general direction they were headed earlier, “Jaehyun we’ll see you later – Doyoung and I are just going to get drinks, nice meeting you Yuta.”

Doyoung’s body seemed to resist the movement. “The nerve,” he hissed barely audible over the music in the room that was steadily rising.

“Let’s just get something to drink and eat so you can calm down and find a nice area to hide away,” Taeil insisted pushing Doyoung more forcefully.

The other reluctantly took the three short strides to the drinks table but then angrily started pouring whatever his has could get. Taeil looked on worriedly, should you even mix Coca and Fanta Orange?

Doyoung let out a rough sigh and handed Taeil the suspicious pop concoction before taking the bottle of Jack Daniels on the table and dashing it in his drink alone. “One of us needs to be sober tonight,” Doyoung explained in an angry voice. “But for tonight it will not be me,” The taller pushed their drinks into a mock toast, “Bottoms up.”

Taeil would forever be able to pin point the moment he utterly fucked up from that point onwards.

His cola concoction was as terrible as he had thought it would taste and left a funny after taste that tingled his throat and heated his stomach a bit but he swallowed it down like a champion and then Doyoung was making him another mixture from the opened cola bottles and they spent at least 30 minutes simply loitering at the table as the music got slightly louder and the lights were dimmed leaving only strategically placed lamps to give light to the large room.

“Okay,” Doyoung said after he had polished off his fourth drink and Taeil still nursing his fourth cola concoction. “I should be well on my way to getting drunk at some point so let’s explore this party some more.”

Taeil knew that was simply code for let’s find Ten at this point. But when they turned to stand Taeil swayed suspiciously as much as Doyoung did. Oh, and there was Ten making his way to them.

“Hi Ten!” he blurted, wait, he didn’t mean to say that out loud.

Ten’s eyes surveyed Taeil and Taeil felt like something may be wrong… just maybe. Then Ten’s eyes fell on Doyoung and okay he was feeling like a third wheel, definitely.

“Taeil, when did you guys get here?” although the question was directed at Taeil Ten didn’t take his eyes off Doyoung.

“Uhm,” Taeil raked his brain, “Maybe an hour ago?”  

“Did Doyoung drink?” Ten asked finally turning to look Taeil in the eye as well. “Did you both, drink?”

“Don’t talk about me like I’m not here!” Doyoung growled.

Taeil put a comforting hand on Doyoung’s shoulder, “I didn’t drink just drank a lot of different colas but Doyoung dashed with whatever alcohol was on the table.”

“Fuck,” Ten cursed under his breath. “All the drinks on that table were already dashed. How many did you have?”

Doyoung hiccupped, “What’s it to you–” another hiccup, “–if we had dashed drinks? It’s not like we’re friends because friends sit with each other during lunch and acknowledge each other’s existence!”

Taeil stared, mouth open, and was abruptly pulled in the direction of where a loose circle was formed, leaving Ten behind. Doyoung huffed ahead of him and threw a smile that Taeil guessed was supposed to be comforting, “We’ll be having lots of fun, without Ten.” Doyoung declared confidently. “Oh look they’re playing spin the bottle – this should be fun.”

 _Fun for whom?_ Taeil asked disparagingly in his head but what actually came out his mouth was, “Am I drunk?”

“Probably not, maybe in a little while though.” The other answered nonchalantly, “Give it a little while though to make its way through your system, then maybe.” And then Doyoung winked at him.

Taeil officially did not know who or what had possessed his best friend but he had a funny suspicion things were only going to get worse.

That’s when he saw the stupid bottle swing in his direction and a bunch of people wolf whistling and cat calling. The bottle had apparently been swung by Taeyong. Oh, hell. Doyoung pushed him forward and he found himself standing in front of a very still Taeyong with people cheering in the background. Taeil wanted to the ground to swallow him up whole, whatever he had done so wrong in a past life to deserve his shitty luck he would repent for a hundred times if it would get him out of the situation where Taeyong was staring at him and people cheering that they should kiss already.

“You smell like alcohol,” Taeil breathed unable to come up with anything else to say. But Taeyong looked gorgeous he could feel his body reacted to Taeyong’s mere proximity, his palms getting damn, his mouth and throat closing up and his mind filling with nothing but _Taeyong, Taeyong, Taeyong_. This time it was so much stronger with something else allowing that part of his brain that he repressed 95% of the time to sound louder than his rationale mind.

“Someone spilled their drink on me,” was the curt answer he received. “You look drunk.” Taeyong finished with accusatory eyes.

Taeil would have never done it any other time but with the alcohol finally kicking in and even heating his stomach and veins he simply rolled his eyes and pulled Taeyong’s mouth to his with a short, “Then let’s get this silly game over with already.”

The people around them cheers were near deafening. Taeyong was obviously surprised by Taeil’s boldness as his body remained stiff and unmoving under Taeil’s wandering hands. But that didn’t stop Taeyong’s mouth from responding to the slightly sloppy movement of Taeil’s lips against his. And if Taeil thought the kiss to his temple had his stomach doing flips, Taeyong’s lips against his were so much better. Sending his whole body into a frenzy, Taeil’s toes curled in his socked feet and his heart didn’t know whether to slow down to a stop or slam against his ribcage but one thing for sure was that Taeil finally admitted he had feeling for Taeyong – intense feeling that he was sure were not reciprocated. When Taeil felt the slid of Taeyong’s tongue against his for a third time and registered his body pressed with little to no space between them – _when did that happen?_ – He pulled himself away and forced a couple of feet between them. Taeyong stared back at him, pupils dilated and mouth slick and parted, with an unfathomable expression on his face.  

“Damn!” a voice hollered and Taeil turned to see a boy he vaguely recognised grinning wildly, “Well who can fucking top that?”

Jaehyun yelled from across the room while sitting in the lap of the guy he had previously sworn to get laid, “Shut up Johnny!”

“Go suck Yuta’s dick Jaehyun!” he laughed good-naturedly. “Now, who the fuck wants to raise the bar after Class Rep and New Guy showed all you fuckers how it _should_ be done.” Then Johnny seemed to spot someone and his grin stretched enough to look like it would hurt. “Ten you wanna spin?”

All eyes turned to Ten who at that moment had walked behind Doyoung and was staring holes into the latter’s head but Doyoung was not having it.

Johnny chuckled and then shrugged, “Fine I’ll spin for you.”

The cheers started up again as the empty bottle spun and spun and spun. Taeil felt Taeyong’s body move closer to his and Taeil supressed a shudder of pure want. _Was this what alcohol did to him?_ Taeyong’s hand slipped around his waist. Taeil tried not to melt into the touch but then Taeyong’s voice rough and sounding considerably angry was at his ear, “I’m taking you home.”

It took a second for the words to sink in but when they did Taeil jerked out of Taeyong’s hold glaring up at the slightly taller boy. “Why? What am I to you?” he demanded fed up with all the damn mixed feelings, fed up with his own confusion for his strong feelings for someone he barely knew and just _sick and tired_ of Taeyong. “You know what don’t answer that because we both know you don’t give a shit.”

Taeil looked away from Taeyong just in time to see Doyoung and Ten pressed against each other and everyone around cheering them on. Taeil was so confused. Doyoung’s hands were tangled into the dark strands of Ten’s awkwardly cut hair (the hair that they didn’t have the hair to tell him was a giant step down from the long locks the Thai boy had sported previously) and Ten’s arms were around Doyoung’s waist. The two fit together like two puzzle pieces, even in Taeil’s unfocused gaze he noted the way Doyoung simply fell into Ten’s embrace and the way Ten’s thumb rubbed circles into Doyoung’s hips. The kiss wasn’t rushed or hurried or desperate but there was definitely a tension to Ten’s shoulders and when Doyoung pulled away there was fear in Doyoung’s big eyes so Taeil wasn’t really surprised when Doyoung bolted the second Ten attempted to open his mouth. Instead Taeil followed Doyoung’s fleeing form with a reassuring, “I’ll get him,” directed Ten’s way.

Taeil followed along - past the mass of bodies dancing to some strange EDM song about the guy trying to get the girl _in the mood and ooh, ooh_. Taeil didn’t even bother as he stepped past the threshold of the sliding door and a blast of cold air hit him. He shivered in his fluffy white sweater and tight blue jeans and went to sit on one of the chaise lounge couch sets that he was sure was supposed to be inside – _rich people_.

“Go away,” Doyoung muttered in a voice that sounded oddly choked.

Taeil sighed wrapping an arm around Doyoung’s shoulders. “I won’t ask questions because things are getting a bit hazy for me right now but I won’t leave you alone you idiot. What kind of best friend does that? But I will demand answers tomorrow morning, in detail.”

Doyoung let out a choked laugh, “Alcohol is evil. I wouldn’t have done what I did otherwise.”

“I don’t know maybe you needed that push tonight,” Taeil said softly and hugged Doyoung tightly. “One thing is for sure though, I want to sleep.”

“Leaving so soon Class Rep?”

Taeil and Doyoung both stiffened at the voice. “Heechul leave us alone,” Doyoung hissed.

Heechul smiled, “Where’s the fun in that Dongyoung?”

Shindong and Kangin moved in union as if rehearsed and grabbed Doyoung and Taeil.

“Now,” Heechul let out a little happy sigh. “It’s a beautiful night let’s go for a little walk shall we.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also shout out to anyone that caught the Princess LuLu reference. <3


	8. HEECHUL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fake it until you make it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FOURTH, MAYBE FIFTH GLASS OF WINE. 
> 
> I spoil you guys so much, hope this is even legible. Lol. I'm such nonsense.  
> This is short and very much straight to the point. Also been listening to Heartbreak Hotel on a LOOP BECAUSE KISEOK IS BAE.  
> Unbeta-ed. #CreatureofHabit

** CHAPTER EIGHT: HEECHUL   **

He didn’t plan this.

When Kangin and Shindong had showed up at his house late Friday afternoon saying that there was a party at Seo Johnny’s house and they should go because Ten was going to be there and if Ten was there Doyoung would be too, dragging Taeil along with and if Taeil was there their new buddy Taeyong would be too. Shindong and Kangin were angrier than usual this year, they seemed frantic and constantly on edge. He wasn’t quite sure what was going on but every now and then he could feel their usual glares of resentment and disgust aimed at the back of _his_ head. The small but noticeable critiques were now directed at him more often than not and he could feel the power he held over them slipping. They were starting to see cracks in his perfectly made persona. They saw that with every punch they landed to someone’s body made him flinch, how every time they drank at bar underage he would nurse one bottle of soju for the entire night while they chugged bottle after bottle and how when they got loud in expensive restaurants Heechul generally had his head kept down and shoulders hunched.

That’s why Taeyong had seemed like the perfect target. Someone new that could be the outlet to Shindong and Kangin’s mindless brutality – someone to distract them with while he continued to have nightmares about how people like Shindong and Kangin beat him up from school to school. Always the rich, weird, new kid with long dark hair perfectly parted down the middle and the parents that bought him whatever he wanted when he wanted it and other kids resented him for that. He thought it would be different when he found NCT a school for the fucking Elite. Others with lots of money and a will to flaunt it whenever they want; maybe then he wouldn’t stick out so much, maybe then he would have a few friends. But then he met Shindong and then Kangin and how they boasted the power they held over the school and how they did whatever the hell they wanted when they wanted and at the time all Heechul saw was the potential power they held, the potential to never again be at the bottom of the food chain.

And everything was great – more or less. He could walk around the school with no one bothering him (because no one bothered to even speak to him), he was at the top (alone) and even his crush thought that he was nothing but a disgusting low life that resorted to violence like Shindong and Kangin did. But he didn’t. He wasn’t the same person as Kangin and Shindong; he was just hiding in their shadows as not to get hurt again. But then tough and brave Kim Taeyong had showed up and everyone loved him. He was cold and distant and to Shindong and Kangin Taeyong represented a threat to their powerbase but to Heechul all he saw was Moon Taeil looking at Taeyong in a way he wished Taeil would look at him, even it was just once.

That’s why Taeyong had seemed the perfect target to him because Taeyong had something Heechul had coveted since freshman year – Taeil’s attention.

“Hey!” Kangin’s voice groused snapping Heechul out of his thoughts. “We should call Taeyong and make this fun,”

“Yeah,” Shindong laughed slapping his meaty fists together. “Rough both of these two up a bit and then fuck Taeyong up for not following orders to stay away from little Class Rep here.”

“No,” he said a little too quickly and Shindong looked at him in confusion. “It would be better if Taeyong saw first-hand what messing with us will do,” he offered up weakly and feeling too much like the villain in crappy low-budget film. His words forced and the sincerity in them non-existent. Shindong grinned as if he had said the best thing ever while Kangin looked at him with a knowing glint in his eyes.

“Okay then,” Kangin said with a glint in his eyes and then suddenly dragged Taeil by his hair. Taeil, caught completely off-guard, let out a cry of pain.

“What are you doing?” Heechul asked darkly his eyes narrowed and staring at a smirking Kangin.    

“Just putting on a show for when Taeyong gets here because that’s what you want right _boss_?” Kangin challenged.

Heechul felt a knot in his stomach at the look in Kangin’s eyes, _he knew_ , Kangin knew. Kangin’s smirk widened when the larger man registered the fear leaking into his eyes of course Kangin saw it because people like Shindong and Kangin were all the same. They found the weaknesses of others and exploited them for their own amusement. It was fun to them. God, Heechul had been so stupid, he had never wanted this. To be a part of something like this – be associated with people like Shindong and Kangin. He’d finally had enough.

“So what are you going to do boss?” Kangin demanded still mocking him.

“I’m leaving,” he whispered.

“What?” Shindong, unaware most likely of the battle of wills between Kangin and Heechul, yelled. “Where the hell are you going?”

Kangin started laughing obnoxiously and loudly.

Heechul ignored Kangin and instead shoved past the broad boy, “Away from people like you maybe even move schools again.” He paused and looked down at Taeil, beautiful, beautiful Taeil. “I’m so sorry I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, especially to you.”

Heechul got a good twenty feet away before he felt it, a blow to the back of his head. He dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes and the world swimming in front of his eyes. Big hands dragged him back to the small clearing not too far from Johnny’s house.

“You think you can fucking get away that easily!” Shindong spat in his face.

A strong kick to his torso had him curling up in a ball to protect himself. Another kick to his back forced a whimper out his lungs and a second, third, fourth and fifth followed in quick succession as soon as he made that sound. It was a sign of weakness – he knew from all the times he had watched or ordered this to happen to other people at the hands of Kangin and Shindong.

Kangin bent down low and his hissed into his face with a sadistic smile, “I knew you were fucking weak the moment we met.”

And then he was forced back into the arms of abuse he had tried so hard to run from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HOPE YOU LOVE HEECHUL JUST AS MUCH AS I DO NOW! It hurt me so much to have y'all misunderstanding Sass King. Thanks for reading. <3


	9. DOYOUNG

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny's Kickass Throwback (patent still pending) and The Morning After.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (v^^) Hi hi.  
> Public holiday for me tomorrow (guess whose's having more wine???) so abusing my Uni's WiFi at 12:15am so that i can upload this chapter and download series. Let's be honest this is what University is all about. 
> 
> wELP beta'd to the best of my ability as a quad-lingual little duckling - Enjoy.

** CHAPTER NINE: DOYOUNG  **

Doyoung’s stomach turned and threatened to upheave its contents as Heechul continued to whimper and writhe in pain across the floor. His face was a mess, blood oozing out of large splits in his skin and his face rapidly swelling to the point where it looked like it would burst any second. Doyoung prayed to whatever higher power that was listening that he and Taeil fared better and in return he would _never_ drink again.

“So who’s next?” Kangin roared with his bloodied fists raised to the air.

Doyoung took a deep breath and he shared a look with Taeil. They were both as shaken up by the rapid change of events and especially at Shindong and Kangin’s apparent mercilessness at hearing Heechul’s cries for them to stop – someone that both Shindong and Kangin had considered a friend.

“How about you just let us go Kangin,” Doyoung started and then resisted the urge to flinch when Kangin turned crazy eyes his direction.

“What did you say freak?”

Taeil glared from Doyoung’s side, “It would be childish of you guys to want to pick a fight after what you’ve just done to Heechul, so just let us go and we’ll get Heechul some help as well.”

Doyoung nodded, “Haven’t you guys had enough now? Just call it a night.”

The laughter that ricocheted around them was nasty and broken – sounding more like a sob than anything else. It made Doyoung flinch and finally look at Shindong who had been silent this entire time since that first initial shout the large boy had aimed at Heechul.

“Leave you alone, you want us to leave you alone when this whole thing was your fucking fault!” Shindong yelled at them. “If Heechul hadn’t wanted to be like you freaks, if Heechul hadn’t wanted to be the Class Rep’s fucking call-dog this wouldn’t have happen!” Shindong took large strides towards Taeil and held the shorter boy by the collar of his now dirtied white sweater. “And you have to pay for messing up our friend Class Rep.”

Doyoung’s stomach dropped further and he tried to make his way to Taeil’s side to stop the inevitable from happening but Kangin was suddenly there with his thick forearms wrapped around his neck in a choke hold. Doyoung’s hands clawed at the arms around his neck, but the more he squirmed the tighter the grip became. Panic swelled in his chest and he kicked his legs out desperately but Kangin had the upper hand and the weight advantage and the experience. His breath completely cut off. Blood pounding loudly in his ears and unable to even to cry out for help while less than 3 meters away his best friend was most likely being beaten to a pulp.

Very suddenly the grip was released and Doyoung dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes. He coughed and hacked and felt the sweet relief of air in his lungs again.

All around him were shouts and hollers. He didn’t know what the hell was going on anymore and all he wanted was to _go home_. Never again would he go to a house party. Never again would he drink a drop of alcohol before he was of legal age and _never again_ would he skip out on P.E. class when they were teaching self-defense classes or even running – he would run for the rest of his high school career if he had to.

Oh, a person was waving their hand in from of his face, “–Doyoung!”

He blinked and looked up to see Ten’s panicked face in front of him. Ten, goodness he would never take Ten for granted either. Ten was so gorgeous, he really was and that little Mark kid had another thing coming if he thought he, the Kim Dongyoung, would ever let Ten go. Doyoung’s stomach turned again and he groaned.

Ten’s eyes narrowed and angry, “Are you hurt? Did they hurt you? I swear I will fuck them up if they so much as left a bruise on you.” Ten’s arms went around his waist and Doyoung sagged into the hug.

“It wasn’t me they were angry at, is Taeil okay?” he asked hesitantly, afraid of the answer.

Ten laughed, “Yeah Taeil’s perfectly fine, when Heechul called us and told us that you guys were about to be hurt I honesty expected the worst. But there Taeil was – flailing and throwing blind punches at Shindong and there was that bastard Kangin with his arms around you but I could see you fighting back. I would have killed him. I really would have if the others hadn’t told me to stop.” Ten pulled away and took Doyoung’s face in his hands, “Are you sure you’re okay? You’re kind of warm.”

The coolness of Ten’s hands against his face felt so great that Doyoung almost sighed in contentment but something that had been pushed down and aside in the adrenalin filled panic of the situation with Shindong and Kangin slowly began to rise up again. His stomach clenched more violently this time – unable to hold it back anymore – his face grimaced as a last second warning and he saw concern swimming strongly in the depth of Ten’s eyes and that was the last thing he was before he projectile vomited all over Ten’s pants and shirt.

“Oh my God, dude!”

He heard someone yell, it might have been Ten. He wasn’t really sure all he could really focus on was the fact that tears were streaming down his face, what could only be described as Satan and a few of Satan’s buddies playing a game with his insides and the fact that he was most likely dying – if not he would definitely die of embarrassment in a few minutes.

Several minutes after the dry heaving stopped Doyoung slowly crawled across the small clearing, on his hands and knees, away from his own sick – and Ten who was definitely wailing at the time – and then passed out with a groan.

_He was never drinking again._

\-----

The first streaks of sunlight were irritatingly shining right on to his face when he woke up next. He _really_ didn’t feel like opening his eyes. He could feel the dryness in his mouth, the sandpapery feel of his eyelids against his eyes and most of all there where muscles he didn’t think possible telling him he would not move without their explicit consent. He knew he had to move at some point but I wasn’t happening at the ass-crack of dawn – even if his bladder was crying out for him to relieve himself. So he turned over gingerly felt something warm and pliant beside him and latched onto it – shamelessly drifting back to sleep.

What felt like only a few minutes later, he was woken up by not so quiet whispers and his huggable pillow moving from beneath him relentlessly.

He groaned, “Keep it down.”

The pillow vibrated and then a voice followed, “You going to wake up anytime soon?”

“Chittaphon don’t sass me so early in the morning,” he mumbled and tighten his hold on his pillow. “And stop trying to take my pillow away you jerk.”

The pillow vibrated with what Doyoung could now identify with laughter. Doyoung sighed in irritation – cracking one eye open to confirm his suspicion – and sure enough his pillow was very distinctly Ten-shaped and smiling at him.

Doyoung squinted.

Ten’s grin widened, “Johnny says breakfast is being made by Jaehyun and should be ready in about half an hour.”

Doyoung’s stomach flipped in a good way and his face flushed but like the true champion he was he decided to grunt instead and further bury his head in the crook of Ten’s neck. “Stop talking so much Pillow and let me sleep.” He grumbled.

Ten sighed smugly slowly wrapping his arms around Doyoung in return, “Sure thing drunkard.”

Doyoung didn’t even have the energy for the Thai boy’s antics, “Sleep Pillow, sleep!”

\-----    

The Jaehyun kid actually wasn’t half bad – at cooking that is.

“Be nice,” Ten whispered into Doyoung’s ear when they were all sitting in Johnny’s messy kitchen with food everywhere and cutlery clanking in hungover and clumsy hands.  

The small few that made it to morning were still to help poor Johnny – slumped over and groaning at the table – with cleaning the disaster zone that was his house as the cleaning staff had been given leave while Johnny’s parents were away (in the hopes that Johnny wouldn’t throw a ridiculous large house party) and Mark, Yuta, Jaehyun, Taeil, Taeyong a stranger with blond hair, largely rounded eyes and patting Johnny comfortingly on the back and of course Ten next to Doyoung. Jaehyun had already carved a section of his heart with his cooking alone. The fact that Jaehyun was also charming and loved to tease the others just as much as Doyoung did was a big plus. The kid was cute.    

Okay so correction: the Jaehyun kid wasn’t bad at all – except for the fact that Jaehyun apparently _loved_ Mark Lee (the bane of Doyoung’s existence) – Jaehyun’s choice in friends however could definitely use a little work though.

“I’m not doing anything,” Doyoung replied softly as he stabbed his food brutally with his chopsticks. “Why do you always assume I’m never nice?”

Ten gave him an endearing look, “Then why does Mark look like he’s one more glare away from bolting out the front door?”

He gave an exaggerated shrug. “Ask him yourself, kid just looks timid to me.”

Taeil, across the table from him and sitting next to the Mark kid, glared at him and mouthed; _stop it._

Doyoung looked at the Mark kid again when Mark’s eyes accidently found his and then gave him a smile. The fact that it felt more like baring his teeth and the fact that Doyoung saw a flash of fear in the kid’s eyes had absolutely nothing to do with him. Doyoung looked at Taeil again with a smirk and replied _I’ve done nothing_.

Ten laughed loudly from beside him and Taeil shook his head disapprovingly.

Johnny groaned loudly in a voice so raspy to was as if he’d chain smoked (which was most likely what actually happened), “Ten, please, keep it down man. I’m trying to die quietly here.”

Jaehyun, Doyoung’s near favourite at that point, laughed louder. “Ah poor Johnny do you need to go lie down? Or do you want some curry?”

At the word curry half the people at the table grimaced – Doyoung included.

The blond next to Johnny shook his head, but was fighting off a large grin at Johnny’s expense. “Jaehyun that’s not very nice,”

“Not our fault your boyfriend can’t handle his liquor as well as he handles his weed Hansol,” Yuta chirped with a shit-eating grin.

Johnny raised bloodshot eyes in the direction of everyone at the table; Doyoung will admit he was a bit unnerved by that stare. “I will kick all you fuckers out.”

Johnny’s boyfriend – _Hansol_ – looked slightly panicked, “If they leave I leave too and you clean your own goddamn house Seo.”

Johnny whined pitifully much to everyone’s amusement.

After the food was more or less gone they were all assigned to clean designated areas in groups. The first hour was spent with people slowly moseying around their assigned areas, instead of actual cleaning being done. Doyoung was stuck with cleaning the backyard with none other than Mark. So the first hour was spent in a tense silence with Doyoung wheeling around the large, plastic, disposal bin and glaring at Mark during regular intervals as the younger boy threw sticky, empty, red solo cups into the bin as Doyoung leisurely steered the bin without actually contributing much else.

“You know,” Mark said quietly when the sun had climbed significantly higher and Doyoung started picking up the trash around them rather than just standing and watching the Mark kid do everything. “I, uh, wasn’t really going to do it.”

Doyoung continued picking trash as if he hadn’t heard when in fact he had been so highly attuned to Mark’s presence that he knew exactly when Mark took a hesitant breath in – that the younger was most likely going to confront him.

“I-I know you’ve most likely heard that I liked Ten a while ago,” Mark continued looking at the ground. “But that was _actually_ a while ago and I’ve gotten over it, I mean Ten is still really cool and I respect him a lot because who wouldn’t – everyone likes Ten.” Mark was rambling, and against every fibre of his being Doyoung found it adorable just how nervous _he_ apparently made the Mark kid. “What I’m really trying to say is when Ten span the bottle – or rather when Johnny did – and it landed on me I would have never done it because Ten is my friend and really cool and all and also, uh, out of respect for you.”

Doyoung finally looked up and levelled Mark with what he thought was a passive stare. Mark still wouldn’t meet his eyes. “What about me?”

Mark’s cheeks, which were already red, darkened. “Well you and Ten are basically a married couple and in all honestly NCT kind of wouldn’t be the same without the bickering Doyoung and Ten couple.”   

Doyoung flushed as well.

More than an hour later after finishing their tasking and small talk between the two; where Doyoung learned that Mark just seemed timid in front of those he wasn’t accustomed to, that Mark loved music, that Mark’s parents were musicians themselves and that Mark could very well be his favourite kid right next to Jaehyun – maybe a little less than Jaehyun – but close nonetheless. It was then that Doyoung admitted out loud. “Well thanks for that Mark, you aren’t actually that bad either.”

Mark’s smile was so bright that Doyoung felt like pinching his cheeks, when he did, Mark did protested – loudly.  

Doyoung grinned. “Don’t ever get any ideas about Ten again kid.”

\-----

When Doyoung was on his way home with Taeil, quietly beside him, he thought back to the strange way Taeil and he had just seemed to fit in with the rest of the group. They were quite the rag-tag bunch in his opinion – the friends that Ten had accumulated but they all seemed to work well together despite seeming so different and hell even Taeyong had a distinctive friendship with Yuta, Mark, Jaehyun and Johnny.

Speaking of Taeyong…

“So I see you and Taeyong aren’t speaking to each other, again.” Doyoung tried – and failed – at subtlety.    

Taeil gave him a long and suffering look. “Leave it alone Doyoung.”

Doyoung felt his face pull into dissatisfaction, “But you guys _kissed_ that had to mean something, right?”

“It meant nothing to either of us,”

“It sure didn’t look like–”

“I’m angry at him okay!”

Doyoung lifted his hands in surrender, “Okay, okay, okay, I don’t get it but I will respect it if it is what you both really want.”

Taeil let out a breath that suspiciously sounded like a broken sob, “Thanks I gotta go home now, my mom is finally back home from visiting my dad, and I should go clean before she gets here.”

Doyoung waved as his friend turned down the street as he continued on the path ahead. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text before pocketing his phone and practically skipping back home.

\-----

At 7pm sharp Doyoung knocked on a set of thick, intricately carved wood doors with those funny knocking ornaments hanging at eye level. There was a loud shout from inside which startled him and a loud thud as something collided against the door.

“I’ve got it Mr Park,” a mute voice said on the other side of the door. “It’s perfectly fine it’s just Doyoung.”

Doyoung rolled his eyes; he was really underappreciated most times. The door finally opened and Doyoung couldn’t really help the way his heart did fun things in his chest now could he. “ _It’s just Doyoung_ , what am I sliced ham?”

Ten laughed, “How else was I supposed to kiss you as soon as you came through the door with him watching?”

“You what–”

Without fail Ten leaned in and pressed their mouths together I closed lipped kiss. Doyoung was even held tight against Ten’s chest with their lips eagerly sliding against each other. It didn’t last long and was fairly chaste but it definitely got Ten’s point across, _you’re mine, forever and always_ it said so did the content little smirk Ten had playing along his lips when they pulled away.

Doyoung punched him in the arm, “Stop showing off.”

“You do know this totally means we’re boyfriends right?”

Doyoung shrugged out Ten’s grip. “Calm down Romeo, we have other things to discuss.”

Instead of letting him go like he thought Ten would, Ten snaked an arm around Doyoung’s waist. “And,” Ten continued, apparently not done with his previous statement. “That means you don’t run away _ever again_ after I kiss you, got it?”

Doyoung squirmed and felt his face heat up in embarrassment.

“ _Even_ if we kiss in public,” Ten lifted his chin gently so that he saw the emotion and convection with which the Thai boy spoke with. “You got it Kim Dongyoung? You are now my boyfriend and can never possibly get rid of me.” He said the last part tenderly with a quick peck to Doyoung’s lips to reaffirm his statement.

“O-okay,” Doyoung finally stuttered biting on his bottom lip and his face feeling incredibly hot.

“So,” Ten said brightly leaning into his boyfriend mischievously. “What are we going to do with Taeyong and Taeil?”

“I might have a plan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love Ji Hansol and Seo Youngho with my ENTIRE body. FO' REAL.


	10. (Interim) TAEYONG

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doyoung says he has a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a small teaser for what will most likely be the last chapter. Tis very short. Goodness. Someone is about to get emotional.  
> See You guys next time. (^-^)/

**CHAPTER TEN: TAEYONG**   

He _really_ didn’t want to go to school on Monday. For the sole reason that after Taeil had kissed him and then things had gone south, Taeyong had looked in Taeil’s eyes the next morning and seen that the shorter man most likely would never talk about it again. Which was fine, of course because now that Taeil had no idiots threatening to hurt him then Taeyong could finally leave Taeil alone and live the rest of his high school life quietly. Like how he had planned ever since his mom had dumped him at NCT High as a last resort for his reckless actions and bad attitude. But nonetheless he found himself bright and early Monday morning with his head on his desk and pretending to sleep while Doyoung’s voice whispered and hissed from somewhere above him. A sense of déjà vu hit him before he finally dragged his head of the desk to see Doyoung glaring down at him but instead of Taeil by Doyoung’s side it was a smiling Ten.

“Don’t you guys have someone else to bother?” he asked with a resigned sigh because of course they didn’t have anyone else but him to bother since Taeil had important school duties that would apparently keep him out of most of his classes so the teacher had explicitly told Taeyong to take notes for Taeil.

Ten smiled, “Hey Taeyong you got a minute?”

“No.”

“Great,” Ten sat down beside him and Taeyong rolled his eyes. “We have a proposition for you.”

Taeyong stared at the dark haired male darkly without uttering a single word.

“Actually it’s more of a plan than a proposition per say,” Doyoung nodded.

Taeyong hung his head, “What do you guys want from me?”

“It’s more what _we_ can do for _you_.”

Doyoung cleared his throat with an almost proud smile in Ten’s direction. Taeyong could tell they were most likely official by now but why they were here messing with him he had no idea. “We plan on getting you and Taeil together and that can only happen if you start wooing him.”

_He should have known._

“Look–”

“We are Taeil’s friends,”

“Best friends!” Ten interjected brightly.

“And with all the knowledge we possess about a particular Moon Taeil, we will guarantee you have Taeil’s heart by the end of the week.”

“Or your money back.”

Taeyong looked between the two of them quizzically, “What money?”

Doyoung and Ten both folded steeple fingers in front of themselves, as Doyoung continued to speak. “Well, we will need money as an almost compensation fee for our services and in return–”

“You get the man of your dreams.” Ten finished – complete with jazz hands.

The bell rang and Ten stood up on command.

Taeyong continued to stare at them, only now he was a lot worried that their offer was sounding pretty good because as much as he wanted to deny it he saw nothing but Moon Taeil since the day he’d joined the school. “You guys are frightening, you must know this right?”

Ten slung an arm around Doyoung’s waist and gave the latter a peck on the lips as Doyoung blushed at the few gasps he heard in the classroom – mostly from the female student body. “Comes with dating this guy,” Ten remarked before practically running out the door when Doyoung glowered.

“So do we have a deal Lee Taeyong?” Doyoung asked with a hand shoved in front of Taeyong’s face.

Taeyong sighed loudly and shook Doyoung’s hand. _What the hell am I doing_?


	11. TAEIL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Press: Replay (part. 1)  
> And remember don't tell Taeil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol, i'm on a weird sleep deprivation induced roll. 
> 
> Here we go all those who still stuck with me. <3

Taeil knew exactly what Doyoung was going to do even before Doyoung did it. But Taeil would not cave so easily. He was mad, extremely and blindingly mad at Taeyong for all the stupid, _stupid_ stupidity he had put himself through on his behalf. Taeil could take care of himself – he was not going to be treated like some damsel in distress and Taeyong would just have to understand that when they eventually started dating. Taeil flushed at the very thought, but after his joint wallow and pity party with Doyoung the previous week and much needed rest from school and stress he hadn’t even realised he’d been keeping, pent-up, inside himself he had admitted his small – more than small – crush on the blond. So when Doyoung and Ten and apparently the rest of the group started forcing Taeyong and himself into situations together, he was 111% ready with a counterattack.

It started with him asking the teacher for some time away from the class to plan activities for the senior’s _Fun Week,_ starting Tuesday, before they were let out for a three week break to study for finals and the college entrance exam. It was one of the highlights of senior year and the student council and class reps were to organise everything.

So between running around like a headless chicken in order to organise the supplies to be delivered to the school and running interference between the teachers and student council wanting to make sure nothing went wrong or broke any major school rules – he was free to ignore Taeyong much to Taeyong’s clear annoyance, which Taeil found a cheap thrill from.

“Taeil, Taeil, _Taeil_!”

Doyoung caught up to him and clung to his arm with an exaggerated exhale. “Goodness did you even hear me? For a second I thought you were ignoring me.”

“I was,”

“Okay I will ignore that for the sake of our friendship and mutual love and respect for one another,” Doyoung huffed. “But I actually came here not to pester you because I know you’re busy but I want to make sure that you come to lunch today. I will even buy you lunch.”

Taeil almost slipped and glared at Doyoung as the taller of the two tried to work his angle, but Moon Taeil was nothing if not amazing at pulling Doyoung’s leg. “Yeah sure I’ll be there, but I might bring a friend, he’s going through a rough time right now so I’m hanging out with him.”

“Okay sure,” Doyoung smiled widely. “Great Ta– Ten and I will be waiting with the others at their table, they have more space there.”

Taeil smirked as Doyoung skipped happily away and turned to head the opposite direction with a mission of his own.

\-----

At lunch Taeyong wouldn’t stop glaring. If looks could kill then Taeil’s lunch mate would have been dead in 30 seconds flat. The rest of the table had lapsed into a pregnant pause as if unsure of what to do next; everyone was at a loss for words and for that Taeil had banked on to hurry this little lunch up.

Taeil cleared his throat, “As I’m sure no introductions are needed but Heechul had nothing else to do but sulk in the classroom for lunch. I know most of you have held more than your fair-share of grudges and nasty words towards him but rest assured Kim Heechul is turning over a new leaf and I thought it would be great for him to sit with us a couple of times before he branches off to find a group of hopefully better friends.”

The rest of the table blinked and Taeil laughed awkwardly and the decided his lunch was infinitely better than anything at that moment.

“Uhm, I know this is kind of out of left field but I also came here to apologise,” Heechul coughed and with a blush tinting the top of his ears continued. “I can never excuse what Kangin, Shindong and I did but I can sincerely apologise and let you guys know that I hope to never be that type of a coward ever again and if you guys want me to leave at least I’ve said my peace and can start making amends anyway that I can.”

Doyoung sighed loudly, “Well I’m I sucker for some grovelling so Kim Heechul I fully accept anything you have in mind.”

Johnny nodded, “If you throw in a party at the huge ass house of yours consider yourself 75% forgiven bro, as long as I can bring my boyfriend along with confirmation of no harassment.”

“I-I’ve never exactly thrown a party before, what would I need?”

“Alcohol,” Ten blurted. “Alcohol always makes people friendlier, it will help.”

Doyoung groaned loudly. “I’m still suffering from horrid flashbacks; can there be normal drinks there too? You know cola, like normal kids our age should be drinking.”

“Who still drinks cola when you have brandy?”

Doyoung glared balefully, “Jung Jaehyun I will pretend those words were never uttered from your mouth for your own safety and my own mental health.”

Jaehyun flashed a quick smirk and ducked his head.

Taeil started to stand, “Well, since it looks like Heechul is settled in I’m going to go finish a few things.”

A hand flashed to take hold of his arm and he forced the shiver that ran down his spine to go away as he looked into Taeyong’s eyes. “I – uhm – I’ll walk you,” Taeyong offered hesitantly.

Taeil felt the flutters in his stomach and the thudding of his heart in his chest and knew he was going to nod even as his mind screamed protests – he was so damn weak. “Okay,”

They walked quietly out of the noisy cafeteria and Taeil definitely noticed Doyoung’s pin-wheeling arms and suggestive facial expressions directed Taeyong’s way when Doyoung thought Taeil wasn’t looking. God, Ten was _actually_ right when he mentioned Doyoung had _never_ conspicuous. As they walked out to the hushed halls the silence between them stretched and Taeil’s earlier confidence at denying all of Taeyong’s advances was starting to waver by having the other boy less than a foot away from – no damn it he would be strong and angry and _stay_ angry because he was not a damsel in distress that needed to be protected and Taeyong had to know that.

“So what is this about?” he asked with a little more venom in his voice than he intended.

Taeyong winced and then coughed clearing his throat, “You – uhm, you didn’t get to finish your lunch and I thought – to uhm, pay you back for all the, fuck never mind just take this and make sure to eat it.”

Taeil blinked and tracked Taeyong’s speedily retreating back with his eyes. He looked down at his hands that were still outstretched and couldn’t help but acknowledge the butterflies fluttering in his stomach. He turned slowly, away from Taeyong’s direction, on his way to his locker and gently deposited the small milk cartoon and kimbap filled lunchbox in his locker to eat later.

\-----

Taeil couldn’t wait for the end of the week. But unfortunately he found himself blinking his crusty eyes open to a Tuesday morning with a giggling Doyoung as an alternative alarm clock and then the sound of sheets rustling followed by more giggling that time from Ten had Taeil bolting upright and launching pillows at the mess of sheets and human limbs on Doyoung’s bed.

“I’m in the same room!” he yelled.

Ten’s head popped out of the sheets first with a large grin on his face. “Sorry, did we wake you?”

Taeil got up angrily, “First you use devil tricks to get my mother to allow you to kidnap me for the week and then you two keep me up all night with your nonsense when you know I have to wake up early for leadership meetings _and now, now_ you subject me to _this_ as well!”

“Where are you going?” Doyoung’s voice asked him sounding somewhat contrite.

Taeil glared at the two, “To the shower and then straight to school.”

He shut the bedroom door before either of them could say anything.

He was in a pissy mood and he knew it – waking up with hope in your heart that it was Friday and then being met with the crushing reality of it being Tuesday morning can really defeat a person. But he would never admit this out loud so he went about his early, _early_ morning routine banging cupboard doors, slamming doors and even crying when he got soap in his eyes.

When he finally got to school – sans Doyoung and Ten – it was freakishly early and only a handful of other students were at school. His hair was still a little damp from his shower but he couldn’t care less. He went to the student council office; organised what he needed to organise, dropped all the necessary documents in respective pigeon holes and even tidied the whole office yet it was still a good hour until first period started. He went to his locker, slammed it open and shut, made his way to class and slumped in his seat. He yawned once, folded his arms over the surface of the smooth desk and before he knew it was out like a light.

“ _Hey,”_

Taeil did not want to move a muscle, so he ignored the slight shake to his shoulder.

_“Hey Taeil, wake up.”_

Taeil cursed his existence.

_“You know you shouldn’t sleep this long, idiot. Get up, it’s already lunch.”_

His eyes snapped open to see Taeyong smirking at him. _Why me, what did I do so wrong in a past life to deserve this?_

Taeyong rolled his eyes, “Don’t be so dramatic. Get up so we can go to lunch.”

“W-we?” Taeil asked in a voice rough from sleep.

Taeyong turned away from him but Taeil could swear Taeyong’s ears were turning red beneath the curtain of silver locks.

Taeyong faced him again, face hardened, “Yeah,” he cleared his throat. “Come on Doyoung said he’d beat me up if I didn’t get you to your precious lunch table.”

 Taeil blinked, “Did I really sleep through the first three periods?”

“Yeah, pretty deeply too, there was a lot of snoring.”

He glared, “I do not snore.”

Taeyong shrugged lightly with mirth dancing in his eyes, “I even recorded it.”

He felt his face heat up intensely, “You didn’t.” he shook his head fiercely. “You wouldn’t dare, I would kill you if you did.”

Taeyong started digging in his pocket until he pulled out his slim smartphone, “Want to take a listen?”

Taeil spluttered reaching for the phone, “How dare you!” he hissed.

“I thought you said you didn’t snore?”

“I-I don’t!”

“This recording says otherwise, should I play it out loud?”

Taeil lunged for the phone as Taeyong continued to gloat waving the phone above his head. Taeyong’s face looked slightly startled as they stood in the doorway of the cafeteria, Taeil pressed up against his front and one of his arms resting lightly on the shorter man’s hip – pushing Taeil just that little bit away from the phone. Taeil slowly blinked up at Taeyong to find Taeyong already staring back at him intensely with Taeil’s heart beating so erratically in his chest he was certain Taeyong could feel it.

“Give me your phone,” Taeil said softly, though it was meant to come out as a threat.

“Only if you go with me to the movies tonight,” Taeyong replied just as quietly.

Taeil’s eyes narrowed, “Why?”

Taeyong tried to shrug casually but ended up lifting only the one shoulder as his grip was still on Taeil’s hip. “I want to see a movie,”

“You watched one with us last week.”

“I wasn’t really paying attention,”

Taeil let out an indignant huff and blatantly ignoring the storm of butterflies in his stomach, “Well you and Ten and Doyoung can go enjoy one then.”

He briefly wondered if his face would explode from the amount of heat in his head when Taeyong bent down to whisper in his ear. “I want to see a movie, _with you_.”

“Hey guys!” Ten shouted from beside them.

Taeil startled – possibly on the verge of his first heart attack before 20 years old – pushing Taeyong away hard enough to move them a good two feet away from each other and then turned wide eyes to Doyoung, Mark, Ten and Johnny. Doyoung elbowed Ten so hard that the Thai boy cried out in what must have been severe pain. Doyoung glared at his boyfriend with a hiss that sounded suspiciously like _you ruined their moment you idiot_.

Taeil straightened himself and allowed himself a glance at Taeyong who looked as unperturbed as usual, minus the annoyed glare he shot Ten. “Uhm, I’ve got to go to the student council office.”

Everyone looked at him suspiciously.

He ignored them all.

“Y-yeah, uhm, important last minute details with – the, uhm, yeah. See you all later.”

Johnny leered, “Very convincing.”

Again, Taeil opted to turn the other cheek. “Yeah see you guys later.”

They all hesitantly waved him off and if Taeyong was staring at him a little more intensely – he certainly didn’t notice.

“Yeah sure see you after school!” Johnny and Mark yelled.

He didn’t even bother trying to decipher that but really wished he had when 6 hours later he was standing in front of the theatre next to Taeyong and their 7 odd other friends plus a sweet kid named Jeno who Mark had brought along.

\-----

Taeyong would not stop glaring and for once instead of finding it amusing Taeil could not agree more.

“We all wanted to see the movie too,” Ten whined.

Meanwhile Doyoung looked at Taeil at least with a little remorse, “Train to Busan is apparently really good… sorry.” He held his hands out in front of himself as his gaze flittered nervously between Taeyong and Taeil. “Honestly Ten and I were just going to tag along in the background and let you two enjoy yourselves,” he sighed with an irritated yet fond look Ten’s way. “But that idiot blurted it during lunch and suddenly everyone wanted to see it too.”

Hansol smiled shyly, “Yeah, sorry Taeil but they have discounts on everything on Tuesdays.” He glared at Johnny. “That idiot didn’t tell me we would be crashing your date.”

Taeil spluttered and fought off his embarrassment, _Date?!_

To Taeil’s surprise it was Taeyong who folded first. The light haired male simply rolled his eyes and sighed heavily, “Are we going in or not?”

Taeil could not help but fight off the sense of déja vu though as Taeyong paid for the tickets and then when it came to the popcorn and snacks Taeil was fully prepared to fight Taeyong on paying for everything again but instead when the bored woman asked for payment Taeyong looked at him expectantly. Taeil then proceeded to awkwardly pat himself down for his wallet as he mumbled about chivalry being dead.

Taeyong laughed at him out right.

Taeil glared, “You could have, I don’t know, warned me I was going to pay for the snacks because you paid for the tickets.”

The smile that Taeyong directed his way had Taeil’s chest seizing with all kinds of emotions.

“There’s no pleasing you, is there?” Taeyong said with a smile.

Taeil looked away in embarrassment and sniffed, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Last you got angry at me for flashing money around – as you saw it and paying for your things but now you’re huffed up like a cute blowfish because I _didn’t_ pay.”

Taeil blinked, “I didn’t think you noted what I said last time.”

“I notice everything when it comes to you Taeil,”

By then they had reached their seats and Taeyong was giving him such an intense look that any words he could have possibly thought up (no matter how stupid) caught in Taeil’s throat. His phone buzzed just then in his pocket and Taeil broke the eye contact feeling that little bit more light headed and that little bit more into Taeyong – if possible.

 

**DOYOUNGIE (TUES, 17:19)  
** _you and Lover Boy are giving each other some intense eye signals, should I be worried about WWIII or should I give you the keys to the house and Ten and I stay away for 3 hours??_

**DOYOUNGIE (TUES, 17:20)  
** _Never mind I can totally see Taeyongie giving you bedroom eyes. Just come get the keys from me when the movie is over. I’ll head over to Ten’s house._

**MOON TAEIL (TUES, 17:21)  
** _WHAT THE HECK??????!!!!!!!_

**MOON TAEIL (TUES, 17:21)  
** _WHY WOULD YOU EVEN SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT! WE, WE ARE CERTAINLY NOT GIVING EACH OTHER BED ROOM EYES._

  **10% (TUES, 17:22)  
**_I agree with Doyoungie, your capitals practically scream sexual frustration._

**DOYOUNGIE (TUES, 17:24)  
** _Play safe, my little Moon._

**MOON TAEIL (TUES, 17:25)  
** _MY CAPITALS SCREAM MY FRIENDS ARE DEMON SPAWN!_

**MOON TAEIL (TUES, 17:26)  
** _You two are dead to me._

 

“Hey are you okay?” Taeyong asked from beside him as the commercials started coming to a close.

Taeil let out a harsh breath, “Just the usual.”

Taeyong chuckled and pat Taeil’s hand comfortingly, “Ten and Doyoung?” he asked.

Taeil nodded, “How did you know?”

Taeyong pointed over to the two sitting four people away from them – the same people who also quickly avoided their eyes suspiciously, “They’ve been staring at us and giggling for the past 5 minutes.”

“I’ll smother them in their sleep,” Taeil threatened quietly.

Taeyong laughed a little too loudly yet the look in his eyes had Taeil feeling proud he’d brought out the loud and dorky laugh on. Throughout the movie as Taeil cried and Taeyong laughed and Taeil jumped at all the jump scares while Taeyong smirked from the side of his eyes Taeyong hadn’t taken his hand away from Taeil’s and if Taeil entwined their fingers twenty minutes into the movie – Taeyong was perfectly fine never letting go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my eyes the last chapter seemed aesthetically so much longer than the others so i cut it in two and am adding the flesh which now the mere bone of my Last Chapter. 
> 
> Seriously sleep deprived. Good night (at 07:30 am)


End file.
